


Reading the Books - Goblet of Fire

by spirithorse16



Series: Hogwarts reads the books [4]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-05
Updated: 2021-01-15
Packaged: 2021-03-05 05:21:13
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 31
Words: 259,192
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25089103
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/spirithorse16/pseuds/spirithorse16
Summary: I'm re-doing this, I have decided to include Lucius and Narcissa after all, so this is the original version
Relationships: Astoria Greengrass/Draco Malfoy, Daphne Greengrass/Harry Potter, Hermione Granger/Ron Weasley
Series: Hogwarts reads the books [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1779118
Comments: 796
Kudos: 979





	1. Intro

The next morning, Harry, Hermione and Ron were running late for breakfast. The three were almost to the Great Hall when Harry heard his name being called, he turned around and he felt his stomach flip when he saw who it was.

"Daphne," Harry said smiling. "Hi Tracey, Astoria, Lily and Blaise."

"Hello Harry," Tracey said smiling.

"Good morning," Astoria said.

"Harry," Blaise said inclining his head.

Daphne walked up to Harry and gave her boyfriend a hug and instinctually kissed him on the lips. Harry was grinning when she pulled away, his hands still around her waist. They stared at each other until they heard a person loudly clearing their throat.

"Oh, uh, sorry," Harry said looking sheepishly at Ron.

Hermione and Tracey looked amused at the situation.

"I'm Tracey Davis, it's nice to meet you," Tracey said holding out her hand.

While their friends introduced themselves Harry and Daphne continued to stare at each other until Harry finally spoke. "Do you want to sit with me?"

"I'd like that," Daphne said tucking a strand of blonde hair behind her ear.

"We should probably go in," Hermione said looking at the clock above the great hall doors. "Breakfast started almost fifteen minutes ago."

Ron didn't need to be told twice, he said a quick goodbye than quickly walked into the Great Hall.

"Boys," Hermione muttered before looking at the Slytherins. "It was nice to meet you all."

"You too." The five Slytherins said in unison.

Hermione followed after Ron into the Great Hall.

Daphne grabbed Harry's hand.

"Are you sitting at the Gryffindor table?" Tracey asked with a knowing smirk.

"Yes," Daphne said.

"Okay, we'll see you later then," Tracey said. "Bye Harry."

"Bye," Harry said than he watched the four Slytherins open the large oak doors and walk inside.

Harry turned back towards Daphne. "When I woke up for the first couple of minutes I thought that last night had been just a really amazing dream.

"Really?" Daphne asked surprised and Harry nodded. "Well I'll just have to show you that it's one hundred percent real."

She leaned forward and kissed her boyfriend, he eagerly kissed her back.

Ten minutes later two flustered fifth years walked into the Great Hall hand in hand. The hall went wide eyed and silent when they saw who was walking in, a Slytherin and the Boy-Who-Lived, the last people everyone would've suspected of being a couple. Ignoring the looks, Harry and Daphne walked to the Gryffindor table, there were two empty seats next to Hermione. Harry sat down next to Hermione while Daphne sat next to him, on her other side was Luna Lovegood, Harry was surprised to see the Ravenclaw sitting there but it was a pleasant surprise. After all she had sat there for part of the reading so it wasn't too surprising.

Everyone in the hall, adults included were still staring at the two. The Gryffindors looked like they didn't know what to say.

"Hi," Daphne said breaking the silence. "I'm Daphne Greengrass."

Daphne was extremely nervous and somewhat hesitant to sit at the Gryffindor table. She tried to portray confidence which wasn't very hard, after all being in Slytherin made it easy for a person to hide behind a mask. She liked Harry more than she thought she would at this stage and she didn't want to ruin anything by doing something foolish.

"She's Harry's girlfriend," Hermione said answering the unasked questions.

The hall was so quiet that everyone heard, there were some mixed reactions.

The Slytherins already knew, Pansy had informed everyone the day before. Before the reading Daphne would've been an outcast for dating not only a Gryffindor but also the Boy-Who-Lived, now however, most of them didn't care. After reading everything Harry had done and learning about Voldemort those that had been planning to join the Dark Lord were now mostly against it. Also after defeating a basilisk at twelve most of them grudgingly had a bit of respect for him. Being a wealthy boy of mostly good blood didn't hurt either. However there were a few, Pansy included, who glared at the couple.

The Hufflepuffs were happy for the couple, after reading about Harry's past they all thought he deserved some happiness and if a Slytherin gave it to him than who were they to stop him? Some of the girls were disappointed though that he was now taken.

The Ravenclaws didn't care about them dating; it wasn't any of their business although a few wished it was them whose hand he was holding. Cho on the other hand was furious; it was supposed to be her dating Harry not a Slytherin. She sat seething; her hand was turning white from how hard she was squeezing her fork.

The Gryffindors were shocked that Harry of all people was dating a Slytherin especially after everything they had done to him over the years. But after all they'd put him through they knew that he needed their support so as long as she didn't hurt him they'd try to get along with her.

Ginny pushed her plate away and glared at the table. She had a boyfriend, she shouldn't care that Harry had a girlfriend but it did, it annoyed the hell out of her. Not only did Harry have a girlfriend but a drop dead gorgeous girlfriend, and she was a Slytherin of all things.

Molly was disappointed she had wanted Harry and Ginny to get together. _'But as long as Harry's happy that's all that matters.'_ She thought, though it didn't stop her from being disappointed.

Snape was sneering, there were plenty of girls who fawned all over the Boy-Who-Lived but no, the boy had to choose one of his snakes.

The rest of the adults were surprised but they knew it was none of their business.

Sirius and Remus were both smiling, they were happy that Harry finally found a girlfriend. Sirius wanted to make a witty comment but he had the feeling Remus would hex him if he did so he stayed silent, there would be plenty of time to tease his godson later.

"Go Harry," Fred said breaking the silence.

"You bagged yourself a hottie," George said wagging his eyebrows.

The twins' comments caused the Gryffindors to laugh effectively breaking the uneasiness.

"Hi Daphne," Neville said nervously.

Daphne smiled kindly, "Hi Neville."

"Do you two know each other?" Harry asked looking between Daphne and Neville.

"We attended a lot of the same functions growing up," Daphne explained.

"Oh, okay," Harry said.

The Gryffindors spent the next five minutes introducing themselves to Harry's new girlfriend.

"How'd it go yesterday Sirius?" Harry asked, he had wanted to ask since he entered the hall.

"Brilliantly," Sirius said grinning. "I received full custody of you."

Harry's face lit up. "Really?"

"Really," Sirius said, he was beaming.

"This is great!" Harry exclaimed.

"Oh Harry!" Hermione said giving her best friend a hug. "Congratulations."

"Congrats mate," Ron said through a mouthful of food.

"I'm happy for you Harry," Daphne said before leaning in to give him a kiss.

Before anyone could say anything further owls began swooping in bringing the morning post. A brown owl landed in front of Hermione, she untied the morning paper from its leg before giving it a piece of bacon.

"Oh look!" Hermione said pointing to an article on the front page.

Harry looked at the front page and saw a large picture of Sirius shaking Amelia Bones' hand while Fudge stood in the background.

**Sirius Black Innocent of All Charges**

**Barnabas Cuffe, Editor of the Daily Prophet**

**A few days ago evidence was brought forth to Amelia Bones, head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement and Cornelius Fudge, Minister of Magic that something was not right in regards to the capture and sentencing of supposed mass murderer Sirius Black. When Madam Bones looked into the matter she discovered that Sirius Black had never been given a trial, instead Barty Crouch Sr, the head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement back in 1981 when Sirius Black was arrested, had thrown Sirius Black into Azkaban without a trial.**

**An informant for Madam Bones knew the current whereabouts of Sirius Black and a deal was struck to bring Sirius Black in for questioning. Under veritaserum Sirius Black told Madam Bones that he had never been a death eater or a dark supporter. He said that Peter Pettigrew had been James and Lily Potter's secret keeper and it had been him who had betrayed the Potters. When asked why he killed Peter Pettigrew and twelve muggles he said that he didn't; that it had been Peter Pettigrew who had committed all the murders.**

**According to Black, Peter Pettigrew yelled out how Sirius had betrayed the Potters before cutting off his finger, blowing up the street and then transforming into a rat. (Sirius Black and Peter Pettigrew were both illegal animagus)**

**Questioning went on for over three hours, leading Madam Bones to find Sirius Black innocent of all charges. Minister Fudge immediately pardoned Sirius Black and a deal for compensation is being made.**

**Sirius Black also happens to be the godfather to the Boy-Who-Lived, Harry James Potter. Sirius Black has been granted custody by Minister.**

**For information on the Life of Sirius Black...page 3**

**For information on the Life of Peter Pettigrew...page 3**

**For more on animagi...page 4**

Harry looked up at Sirius. "Informant?"

Sirius snorted. "Well Amelia couldn't very well tell the press that she had access to books about your life now could she?"

"That's true," Harry said.

He found the article somewhat amusing, an informant really? But he didn't care what the ministry told the public as long as his godfather was free.

Harry had just put down the paper when the doors to the Great Hall flew open and several people walked in. Ollivander walked in first, Harry's eyebrows shot up before crinkling in confusion. Next came a man who reminded Harry of a lion. There were streaks of grey in his mane of tawny hair and his bushy eyebrows, he had keen yellowish eyes behind a pair of wire-rimmed spectacles and a certain rangy, loping grace even though he walked with a slight limp. A pretty woman he didn't know with dark brown hair walked in next to a man with light brown hair.

His eyes went wide when they landed on the imposing form of Lucius Malfoy who was strutting in followed by his wife Narcissa.

Lastly came someone Harry wasn't very surprised to see since they were about to read about his fourth year, Viktor Krum.

"Welcome, welcome," Dumbledore said jovially with his arms spread wide. "You are the last to arrive, please feel free to take a seat."

Lucius sneered and walked over to Snape where two seats had been placed. Narcissa looked at the Slytherin table and inclined her head towards her son, she gave him a small smile but very few noticed before she sat next to her husband.

Ollivander took a seat at the head table and Rufus took a seat at the head table as well, right next to Amelia who began speaking to him in a hushed tone.

Viktor looked confused as to where to sit until he spotted Harry. "Do you mind if I sit at your table Harry?"

"Not at all," Harry said. "It's good to see you again Viktor."

"You too Harry," Viktor said holding out his hand for Harry to shake.

People moved around to make room; he ended up sitting directly across from Hermione causing Ron to scowl.

"Hello Hermione," Viktor said.

"Hi Viktor," Hermione beamed.

"Nymphadora," the pretty woman said as she hugged Tonks.

"Mum," Tonks whined. "Don't call me that."

"Hello sweetie," the other man said.

"Hi dad," Tonks said brightly.

"Everyone this is my mum and dad, Andromeda and Ted Tonks," Tonks introduced.

"Hello, it's nice to meet you," Harry said politely.

"You too dear," Andromeda said kindly.

"Now that everyone is seated we can begin with the next book," Dumbledore said standing up. "For those who haven't noticed we have several new people joining us. You all know Ollivander," Dumbledore gestured to the wand maker, "Andromeda and Ted Tonks are also joining us along with Viktor Krum." The first years who had never seen Viktor looked excited. "Lastly we have Rufus Scrimgeour along with Narcissa and Lucius Malfoy. Please make our guests feel welcome. Those who are new to the reading already know what is going on. They didn't read the first three books but I gave them the gist of it so they will know what is going on. Now to begin," he picked up a book that was much larger than the previous three, "this book is titled, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire."

Harry resisted the urge to groan.

"Who would like to read first?" Dumbledore asked cheerfully.

"I will," Blaise said.

"Very good," Dumbledore said as he levitated the book to the Slytherin table.

As the book made its way to the Slytherin table Narcissa looked anywhere but at her sister. She didn't want to be in the same room as Andromeda, she loved her sister dearly but she felt hurt and betrayed. She had chosen a muggleborn over her own family, over Narcissa. She wanted to get this over with so she could go home.

Lucius was annoyed, when Fudge told him about these books he had thought it was a joke but quickly learned it wasn't. He wanted to attend so he could learn information for his Lord but those hopes were soon dashed. According to Fudge, Dumbledore told him that a spell was placed on the books so what happens in them can only be spoken about with those who have read them. Dumbledore is the only exception which is why he was able to tell them what had happened so far. He knew that there were certain circumstances in which you could discuss them with others as evident with that article about Sirius in the Prophet; he just didn't know what those loopholes were. He was just thankful that Dumbledore didn't tell Narcissa it was he who had been behind the attacks in their son's second year, she wouldn't forgive him for putting Draco in danger. It would be no use trying to tell her that he was never in any danger since he was a Malfoy.

Lucius was adjusting his cloak when his eyes fell on the small form of Dobby the house elf. The elf was sitting at the Gryffindor table next to a blonde girl with distant looking eyes. Lucius' eyes narrowed and his hand clutched his cane so tight that his hand turned white. _'How dare that filthy little elf sit at the table like a wizard?'_ He hated that elf, especially after Dobby made him look like a fool a few years ago.

"Are you okay Dobby?" Harry asked leaning over Daphne.

Dobby who was sitting a few seats away next to Luna was shaking slightly. "Dobby is fine Harry Potter sir."

Harry frowned and his eyes flicked up to the head table, he felt like smacking himself. "Is it Mr. Malfoy?"

Dobby's ears drooped and he looked like he was having some sort of internal conflict. "Yes," the elf said quietly.

"He can't hurt you Dobby," Harry said quietly but full of conviction. "I won't let him, I promise."

Dobby slowly nodded his head, he trusted Harry.

Andromeda looked up at the staff table and internally sighed, she wanted to talk to her sister but she knew that it was no use trying. She hoped that something would happen or change to make them be able to be friends ago, she missed her sister dearly but she didn't want to get her hopes up. She loved her sister and she wanted to get to know her nephew but she had chosen one path and Narcissa had chosen another, a path that Andromeda didn't at all agree with. It hurt her when she walked away from her family all those years ago but she had fallen in love with Ted and she would've never joined Voldemort.

Viktor didn't know if he wanted to be here or not. The whole incident with the Triwizard Tournament was still a sore subject with him. Something had made him use the cruciatus curse on Cedric and then later that night he was murdered, he didn't want to know what exactly happened.

Amelia was planning on paying extra attention to this book; she didn't want to miss a thing.

Next to Amelia, Rufus was thinking the same thing; he was also wondering if Dumbledore would let him read the first three books, he wanted to get the whole picture. He was also wondering why him and the six others who were just invited to the reading just weren't invited in the beginning, it would've made things easier.

Moody could already tell he wasn't going to like this book; he would have to spend the entire book listening about him being impersonated by a death eater.

Fudge was looking at the book with trepidation; this book might tell him that Voldemort is indeed back. If he was back than Fudge was sure he'd be out of a job.

Umbridge was looking hungrily at the book. _'This book better reveal that Potter is a liar, it must.'_

The students were excited but also a bit worried about what they would read, they all hoped that it was more cheerful than the last three books. They knew that Cedric died, that was something none of them wanted to read but they were hoping that the rest of the book wouldn't be miserable; they needed to read something cheerful. Everyone was also curious to find out how Harry's name got into the goblet, and those that still believed Harry put it in himself (there were very few such as Zacharias Smith) wanted to be proved right.


	2. Riddle House

**"The Riddle House,"** Blaise read.

Harry stiffened at the title; he already hated reading this book.

Daphne saw Harry stiffen and she grabbed his hand, it relaxed him somewhat and he gave her a small grateful smile.

Ginny had also recognized the name Riddle and she shivered slightly.

**The villagers of Little Hangleton still called it "the Riddle House," even though it had been many years since the Riddle family had lived there.**

"Wait the Riddle House," Susan said looking thoughtful. "As in Tom Riddle?"

Whispers broke out around the hall.

"Yes, it's that Riddle," Harry said effectively stopping the whispers.

"Who's Riddle?" Victor asked.

"Tom Marvolo Riddle is an anagram for I Am Lord Voldemort," Hermione explained. "That was his name before he switched it and became a dark lord."

Narcissa frowned, Riddle didn't sound like a pureblood last name. She looked at Lucius; he didn't seem shocked by this information; that caused her frown to deepen.

"Dumbledore didn't tell you guys about Harry fighting him at the end of his second year?" Hermione inquired with a frown.

"He told us that Harry fought a young version of Voldemort but not what his real name was," Viktor told her.

**It stood on a hill overlooking the village, some of its windows boarded, tiles missing from its roof, and ivy spreading unchecked over its face.**

"It's Little Hangleton's version of the Shrieking Shack," George said in a spooky voice.

A few people laughed while others looked amused.

**Once a fine-looking manor, and easily the largest and grandest building for miles around, the Riddle House was now damp, derelict, and unoccupied.**

"How come?" Dean asked; he couldn't see why anyone would let such a nice house get like that.

"I'm sure the book will explain why," Harry said, he didn't feel like explaining when he knew it'd be in the book.

**The Little Hangletons all agreed that the old house was "creepy."**

"It sounds creepy," Lavender murmured.

**Half a century ago, something strange and horrible had happened there,**

_'That's about the time the Chamber of Secrets was opened for the first time.'_ Susan pondered. _'That means it would've been around the time Tom Riddle was sixteen or seventeen.'_

**something that the older inhabitants of the village still liked to discuss when topics for gossip were scarce.**

"People gossip no matter how old they are," Hermione sighed.

**The story had been picked over so many times, and had been embroidered in so many places, that nobody was quite sure what the truth was anymore.**

"That's usually what happens with gossip," Hermione said. "The truth gets twisted until finally it doesn't even resemble the truth at all."

**Every version of the tale, however, started in the same place: Fifty years before, at daybreak on a fine summer's morning when the Riddle House had still been well kept and impressive, a maid had entered the drawing room to find all three Riddles dead.**

Harry felt sick; he couldn't fathom how someone at the age of sixteen could be so cold hearted that they could murder their own family. Sure he didn't like the Dursley's but he would never even think about killing them. He sometimes wondered what happened to Voldemort to make him the way he is now, or if he was just born evil.

**The maid had run screaming down the hill into the village and roused as many people as she could.**

" **Lying there with their eyes wide open! Cold as ice! Still in their dinner things!"**

Moody narrowed both of his eyes; that sounded like the killing curse.

Amelia, Kingsley Tonks and Rufus were all thinking the same thing.

**The police were summoned,**

"It won't do any good," Moody said thoughtfully.

"Why not?" Justin asked.

"Use your brain boy," Moody growled. "It sounds like the killing curse, and if a wizard killed those muggles than the muggle police can't do anything about it."

Justin tinged pink. "Oh, right."

**and the whole of Little Hangleton had seethed with shocked curiosity and ill-disguised excitement.**

"That's horrible," Hannah gasped. "People died and they're excited about it?"

Harry grimaced, if they were anything like their grandson and son he could see why people wouldn't be sad about their deaths.

**Nobody wasted their breath pretending to feel very sad about the Riddles, for they had been most unpopular.**

_'Maybe he was just born evil.'_ Harry thought before shaking his head. _'No, people can't be born evil, can they?'_

**Elderly Mr. and Mrs. Riddle had been rich, snobbish, and rude, and their grown-up son, Tom, had been, if anything, worse.**

"So that was You-Know-Who's grandparents and father?" Justin asked for clarification.

"Yes," Harry answered.

"If his dad was alive why'd he live in a muggle orphanage?" Justin inquired.

"If these books do not explain Voldemort's past than I will once the reading is over," Dumbledore announced to the hall.

Narcissa's frown was still on her face. _'The Dark Lord grew up in a muggle orphanage?'_

Lucius didn't like what he was hearing. He had known that the Dark Lord was a half-blood but he followed him anyways because the man was powerful and he had the right ideas. However he had never told his wife, Narcissa was first and foremost a Black and a Black wouldn't follow a half-blood. He was going to need to do some quick thinking.

**All the villagers cared about was the identity of their murderer — for plainly, three apparently healthy people did not all drop dead of natural causes on the same night.**

"That's definitely the killing curse," Rufus said, he had seen a lot of those deaths during the first war.

 **The Hanged Man,** **the village pub,**

"Who comes up with these names?" Seamus asked incredulously. "We have the The Hog's Head and the muggles have The Hanged Man, they're ridiculous."

A few people laughed, the names really were ridiculous.

**did a roaring trade that night; the whole village seemed to have turned out to discuss the murders.**

"They sound like a pleasant lot," Ron said casually.

**They were rewarded for leaving their firesides when the Riddles' cook arrived dramatically in their midst**

"What is she, the Trelawney of Little Hangleton?" Dean muttered to Seamus who had to cover up a snort.

**and announced to the suddenly silent pub that a man called Frank Bryce had just been arrested.**

Harry's head snapped towards the book at the name. Frank Bryce was one of the ghostly figures he had seen in the graveyard, he seemed like a good man.

"Are you okay Harry?" Daphne whispered in Harry's ear.

Harry felt a shiver run up his spine when her hot breath hit his ear. "I'm fine Daph; I just know the name is all." She cocked an eyebrow. "It's not something I really want to talk about, at least not until I have to. I know it'll be in the book though." She nodded.

Ginny and Cho were both watching the exchange with jealousy in their eyes.

Ginny momentarily forgot she had a boyfriend, she still liked Harry and she had hoped that one day he'd like her too.

 _'That's supposed to be me.'_ Cho thought indignantly.

" **Frank!" cried several people. "Never!"**

**Frank Bryce was the Riddles' gardener. He lived alone in a run-down cottage on the grounds of the Riddle House. Frank had come back from the war with a very stiff leg and a great dislike of crowds and loud noises,**

"Sounds like a muggle version of Mad-Eye," Tonks said with a teasing grin.

The students laughed and even a few of the adults looked amused.

Moody glared at his protégé but she just continued to smile.

**and had been working for the Riddles ever since.**

**There was a rush to buy the cook drinks and hear more details.**

Many of the students rolled their eyes. Three people had died and people were acting like it was no big deal.

A few people however couldn't find it in themselves to feel bad for the Riddles'; after all they were Voldemort's family.

" **Always thought he was odd," she told the eagerly listening villagers, after her fourth sherry.**

"Of course you did," Angelina said sarcastically. "That's why earlier everyone was so shocked to find out the police thought it was him."

Harry thought it was a lot like how people in the wizarding world treated him. One minute people were defending him but as soon as something suspicious happens they all claim to have known he was an evil dark lord in training.

" **Unfriendly, like. I'm sure if I've offered him a cuppa once, I've offered it a hundred times. Never wanted to mix, he didn't."**

"That doesn't make someone a murderer," Lily said frowning.

" **Ah, now," said a woman at the bar, "he had a hard war, Frank. He likes the quiet life.**

"Anyone would after a war," Hermione said nodding.

Harry internally sighed; all he wanted was a quiet life.

**That's no reason to — "**

" **Who else had a key to the back door, then?" barked the cook. "There's been a spare key hanging in the gardener's cottage far back as I can remember! Nobody forced the door last night! No broken windows!**

"Alohamora," Lisa suggested.

**All Frank had to do was creep up to the big house while we was all sleeping…"**

"No," Susan said slowly. "The book said that they were found in the dining room wearing dinner clothes."

"The stories been changed so much that, that part has probably been left out," Ernie pointed out.

**The villagers exchanged dark looks.**

" **I always thought that he had a nasty look about him, right enough," grunted a man at the bar.**

"They're blaming him for something he didn't do," Hannah said sadly.

"But they don't know that," Ernie said. "For all they know he did commit the murders."

" **War turned him funny, if you ask me," said the landlord.**

"War does do strange things to people," Arthur said, remembering how different everyone had been before the first war, more carefree.

" **Told you I wouldn't like to get on the wrong side of Frank, didn't I, Dot?" said an excited woman in the corner.**

" **Horrible temper," said Dot, nodding fervently. "I remember, when he was a kid…"**

"And now everyone is going to be spreading around stories that either aren't true or are extremely embellished," Susan said shaking her head.

**By the following morning, hardly anyone in Little Hangleton doubted that Frank Bryce had killed the Riddles.**

"Gossip spreads like wildfire," Hermione said shaking her head.

**But over in the neighboring town of Great Hangleton, in the dark and dingy police station, Frank was stubbornly repeating, again and again, that he was innocent,**

"Because he was," Harry said under his breath.

**and that the only person he had seen near the house on the day of the Riddles' deaths had been a teenage boy, a stranger, dark-haired and pale.**

Harry's jaw clenched, he knew exactly who that teenage boy was.

"That definitely sounds like Tom Riddle," Bill pointed out.

"That's because it was," Harry said through gritted teeth.

Daphne began rubbing circles on the back of Harry's hand, he began slowly relaxing.

**Nobody else in the village had seen any such boy, and the police were quite sure Frank had invented him.**

"If only," Ron said darkly.

**Then, just when things were looking very serious for Frank, the report on the Riddles' bodies came back and changed everything. The police had never read an odder report.**

The adults in the room nodded, it would show up as someone just dropping dead.

**A team of doctors had examined the bodies and had concluded that none of the Riddles had been poisoned, stabbed, shot, strangles, suffocated, or (as far as they could tell) harmed at all. In fact (the report continued, in a tone of unmistakable bewilderment), the Riddles all appeared to be in perfect health — apart from the fact that they were all dead.**

"That's what the killing curse does," Tonks said grimacing. "Your body just completely shuts down."

**The doctors did note (as though determined to find something wrong with the bodies)**

A few people snorted at the thought of stubbornly trying to find something wrong with a corpse.

**that each of the Riddles had a look of terror upon his or her face — but as the frustrated police said, whoever heard of three people being frightened to death?**

A few people shivered at the thought of being frightened to death.

"That would be a horrible way to die," Eleanor said.

**As there was no proof that the Riddles had been murdered at all, the police were forced to let Frank go. The Riddles were buried in the Little Hangleton churchyard,**

Harry flinched at the mention of the grave yard.

Hermione and Ron saw the flinch and exchanged looks; they knew that he had been taken there by Voldemort.

Daphne didn't know why the mention of a graveyard made Harry flinch but she squeezed his hand in comfort anyways.

**and their graves remained objects of curiosity for a while.**

"That's sick," Parvati said looking sick.

**To everyone's surprise, and amid a cloud of suspicion, Frank Bryce returned to his cottage on the grounds of the Riddle House.**

"That take some guts," Anthony said shaking his head. "To return there when everyone thinks you're guilty of murder."

"He shouldn't have had to leave," Morag said. "He didn't murder anyone."

"I know that," Anthony said defensively. "But they don't know that."

" **As far as I'm concerned, he killed them, and I don't care what the police say," said Dot in the Hanged Man.**

Harry rolled his eyes; it reminded him of everyone believing the Daily Prophet.

**"And if he had any decency, he'd leave here, knowing as how we knows he did it."**

"He shouldn't have to leave," Morag muttered.

**But Frank did not leave.**

"Good," Charlie said fiercely. "He shouldn't have had to."

**He stayed to tend the garden for the next family who lived in the Riddle House, and then the next — for neither family stayed long.**

"I wonder why," Harry muttered under his breath.

**Perhaps it was partly because of Frank that the new owners said there was a nasty feeling about the place,**

"Well three people were murdered there," Terry said. "I'm not surprised that there's a nasty feeling about the place."

**which, in the absence of inhabitants, started to fall into disrepair.**

**The wealthy man who owned the Riddle House these days neither lived there nor put it to any use; they said in the village that he kept it for "tax reasons," though nobody was very clear what these might be.**

Harry resisted a snort; he highly doubted that Voldemort kept the house for "tax reasons". It was more likely that he kept the house to keep prisoners, hold death eater meetings or plot something nefarious.

**The wealthy owner continued to pay Frank to do the gardening, however.**

Harry couldn't deny that he was surprised he allowed Frank to continue working and more importantly living there.

**Frank was nearing his seventy-seventh birthday now, very deaf, his bad leg stiffer than ever, but could be seen pottering around the flower beds in fine weather,**

"Older people like gardening," Justin said, his grandmother had a large garden in the country she enjoyed tending to.

**even though the weeds were starting to creep up on him, try as he might to suppress them.**

"That's one of the good things about magic," Neville said. "Weeds can be kept away easily."

**Weeds were not the only things Frank had to contend with either. Boys from the village made a habit of throwing stones through the windows of the Riddle House.**

"Horrible behavior," Andromeda said frowning.

Narcissa stiffened when her sister spoke but she said nothing.

**They rode their bicycles over the lawns Frank worked so hard to keep smooth.**

The adults looked at the book in disgust; some children had no manners whatsoever.

**Once or twice, they broke into the old house for a dare.**

"Not even us Marauders would've done that," Sirius said shaking his head.

"Really?" Arthur asked raising an eyebrow.

"Really," Sirius said looking insulted. "We played pranks but we knew when to draw the line."

Snape sneered; he hated to think about what Sirius would consider beyond the line. In his opinion the Marauders went past the line on a weekly basis.

**They knew that old Frank's devotion to the house and the grounds amounted almost to an obsession, and it amused them to see him limping across the garden, brandishing his stick and yelling croakily at them.**

"That's despicable," Susan said shaking her head, her red hair swishing back and forth.

"I would never have allowed Nymphadora to behave in such a manner," Andromeda said looking shocked like children would behave like that.

"Don't call me Nymphadora mum," Tonks said, her hair turning red.

The students snickered at the indignant look on Tonks' face.

"That's your name dear," Andromeda said in a motherly voice.

Tonks scowled which only caused the snickers to increase.

**Frank, for his part, believed the boys tormented him because they, like their parents and grandparents, thought him a murderer.**

Luna looked at the book sadly; no one deserved to be treated like that.

**So when Frank awoke one night in August and saw something very odd up at the old house, he merely assumed that the boys had gone one step further in their attempts to punish him.**

"He assumed," Hannah said slowly, her voice sounding slightly worried.

"I'm getting a bad feeling about this," Susan said.

**It was Frank's bad leg that woke him; it was paining him worse than ever in his old age.**

Harry nodded, knowing what it was like to have something painful wake you up.

**He got up and limped downstairs into the kitchen with the idea of refilling his hot-water bottle to ease the stiffness in his knee. Standing at the sink, filling the kettle, he looked up at the Riddle House and saw lights glimmering in its upper windows.**

"Someone's there," Rose said quietly.

"I wonder who it is," Leanne said.

 _'No one good.'_ Harry thought as he unconsciously rubbed his scar.

**Frank knew at once what was going on. The boys had broken into the house again, and judging by the flickering quality of the light, they had started a fire.**

"What does this have to do with Harry?" Neville asked voicing the question that many people were wondering.

Harry grimaced. "I think I might know but I'm not a hundred percent positive." He had the feeling this was the night he had that vision of Voldemort killing an old muggle caretaker.

**Frank had no telephone, in any case, he had deeply mistrusted the police ever since they had taken him in for questioning about the Riddles' deaths.**

"Definitely a muggle Mad-Eye," Tonks said with a nod of her head.

"Tonks," Moody growled.

**He put down the kettle at once, hurried back upstairs as fast as his bad leg would allow, and was soon back in his kitchen, fully dressed and removing a rusty old key from its hook by the door.**

_'You shouldn't have gone.'_ Harry thought sadly.

**He picked up his walking stick, which was propped against the wall, and set off into the night.**

Harry sighed, he knew the fate of this man and he really didn't want to hear it.

"Harry?" Daphne said quietly.

Harry looked at his girlfriend and shook his head. "I'll be fine."

**The front door of the Riddle House bore no sign of being forced, nor did any of the windows.**

"It's a wizard," Su Li guessed.

The hall tensed slightly, everyone was beginning to get a really bad feeling about this.

**Frank limped around to the back of the house until he reached a door almost completely hidden by ivy, took out the old key, put it into the lock, and opened the door noiselessly.**

"Not a good idea, not a good idea," Orla chanted under her breath worriedly.

**He let himself into the cavernous kitchen. Frank had not entered it for many years; nevertheless, although it was very dark, he remembered where the door into the hall was,**

"Good memory," Moody said approvingly.

**and he groped his way towards it, his nostrils full of the smell of decay,**

"Lovely," Lavender said making a face.

**ears pricked for any sound of footsteps or voices from overhead.**

"Good," Moody said. "Always be on your guard."

"Mad-Eye, has anyone ever told you that you're paranoid?" Tonks asked rolling her eyes.

"Paranoid is what people who are trying to take advantage call you in an effort to get you to drop your guard," Moody barked. "And you should never let your guard down."

**He reached the hall, which was a little lighter owing to the large mullioned windows on either side of the front door, and started to climb the stairs, blessing the dust that lay thick upon the stone, because it muffled the sound of his feet and stick.**

"That's good," Moody said. "Use anything you can to your advantage."

**On the landing, Frank turned right, and saw at once where the intruders were: At the very end of the passage a door stood ajar, and a flickering light shone through the gap, casting a long sliver of gold across the black floor.**

"That's ominous," Susan murmured.

**Frank edged closer and closer, he was able to see a narrow slice of the room beyond.**

**The fire, he now saw, had been lit in the grate.**

Harry sighed; yes this was definitely that night.

**This surprised him.**

"Why?" Euan asked.

"He probably didn't expect an intruder to light a fire," Jimmy guessed with a shrug.

**Then he stopped moving and listened intently, for a man's voice spoke within the room; it sounded timid and fearful.**

" **There is a little more in the bottle, My Lord, if you are still hungry."**

The students gasped while Harry's free hand was balled into a fist.

"Is he talking about You-Know-Who?" Sally-Anne asked timidly.

"Yes," Harry said trying to keep a level head.

" **Later," said a second voice. This too belonged to a man — but it was strangely high-pitched, and cold as a sudden blast of icy wind.**

Harry was glaring daggers at the book.

**Something about that voice made the sparse hairs on the back of Frank's neck stand up.**

Harry nodded, he knew the feeling.

" **Move me closer to the fire, Wormtail."**

"Wormtail!" Several people shouted in shock.

"Peter Pettigrew is there?" Dean asked wide eyed.

"Professor Trelawney's prediction came true!" Lavender exclaimed.

The hall tensed; nothing good would happen with Voldemort there.

**Frank turned his right ear toward the door, the better to hear. There came the clink of a bottle being put down upon some hard surface, and then the dull scraping noise of a heavy chair being dragged across the floor. Frank caught a glimpse of a small man, his back to the door, pushing the chair into place. He was wearing a long black cloak, and there was a bald patch at the back of his head.**

Remus, Sirius, Hermione and Ron joined Harry in glaring at the book.

"Bloody coward," Ron spat. "He goes back to You-Know-Who because he has nowhere else to go."

**Then he went out of sight again.**

" **Where is Nagini?" said the cold voice.**

"Who's Nagini?" Colin asked looking at Harry.

"Voldemort's pet snake," Harry answered automatically.

"Of course You-Know-Who would have a pet snake," Michael said shaking his head.

" **I — I don't know, My Lord," said the first voice nervously. "She set out to explore the house, I think…"**

" **You will milk her before we retire, Wormtail," said the second voice.**

"You can milk a snake?" Wayne asked looking bewildered.

"I don't think he's talking about milk," Kingsley said.

"Then what?" Wayne asked looking like he didn't really want to know.

"Venom," Kingsley answered simply.

" **I will need feeding in the night. The journey has tired me greatly."**

"He's so weak," Hannah said.

"He was," Harry muttered. _'But not anymore.'_ He thought.

Lucius didn't like hearing about his Lord in this way, he was supposed to always be strong not weak and relying on vermin like Pettigrew.

**Brow furrowed, Frank inclined his good ear still closer to the door, listening very hard.**

"Run while you still can," Alicia said worriedly.

**There was a pause, and then the man called Wormtail spoke again.**

"I wish he wouldn't," Ron muttered.

" **My Lord, may I ask how long we are going to stay here?"**

" **A week," said the cold voice. "Perhaps longer. The place is moderately comfortable, and the plan cannot proceed yet.**

"What plan?" Justin asked.

"I don't think I want to know," Susan murmured.

Harry was barely able to suppress a flinch, he knew what that plan was.

**It would be foolish to act before the Quidditch World Cup is over."**

**Frank inserted a gnarled finger into his ear and rotated it. Owing, no doubt, to a buildup of earwax, he had heard the word "Quidditch," which was not a word at all.**

Oliver looked scandalized.

" **The — the Quidditch World Cup, My Lord?" said Wormtail. (Frank dug his finger still more vigorously into his ear.)**

"If I was a muggle I'd be confused too," Susan said. She felt horrible for the old man, she didn't see how he could make it out alive.

**"Forgive me, but — I do not understand –**

"Nothing new there," Sirius snarled.

**why should we wait until the World Cup is over?"**

" **Because, fool,**

 _'Why Peter turned his back on us for that I'll never understand.'_ Remus thought sadly.

**at this very moment wizards are pouring into the country from all over the world, and every meddler from the Ministry of Magic will be on duty, on the watch for signs of unusual activity, checking and double-checking identities.**

"That is true," Arthur agreed reluctantly. "Security was very tight for the World Cup."

"But it didn't stop death eaters from coming along and ruining it," Bill pointed out.

**They will be obsessed with security, lest the Muggles notice anything.**

"The way everyone goes around performing magic and dressing like wizards, the muggles notice no matter how much security there is," Anthony said.

Amelia frowned, things would be much easier if people just followed the rules but she knew there would always be those who would ignore them.

**So we wait."**

**Frank stopped trying to clear out his ear. He had distinctly heard the words "Ministry of Magic," "wizards," and "Muggles." Plainly, each of these expressions meant something secret, and Frank could think of only two sorts of people who would speak in code: spies and criminals.**

"Oh he's a criminal alright," Moody said nodding his gnarled head.

"And the rat's a no good dirty rotten spy," Sirius snarled.

**Frank tightened his hold on his walking stick once more, and listened more closely still.**

" **Your Lordship is still determined, then?" Wormtail said quietly.**

 _'Don't question the Dark Lord you fool.'_ Lucius thought with a sneer.

Snape sneered as well. _'Idiot, only Pettigrew would be foolish enough to question the Dark Lord.'_

" **Certainly I am determined, Wormtail." There was a note of menace in the cold voice now.**

"He's making him angry," Fred sing songed.

**A slight pause followed — and the Wormtail spoke, the words tumbling from him in a rush, as though he was forcing himself to say this before he lost his nerve.**

" **It could be done without Harry Potter, My Lord."**

There were gasps all around the hall and Daphne's grip tightened on her boyfriend's hand.

"This is about Harry?" Lavender asked worriedly.

"Of course it is," Harry snapped. "Everything Voldemort does revolves around me, haven't you noticed?"

The hall looked surprised at Harry's outburst and Lavender looked like she'd been slapped.

"Harry," Daphne said quietly with a glance towards Lavender.

Harry sighed. "Sorry Lavender, it's not you I'm just tired."

"It's fine," Lavender said quietly.

**Another pause, more protracted, and then —**

" **Without Harry Potter?" breathed the second voice softly.**

Ron and Hermione both looked like they wanted to jump through the book and strangle both Wormtail and Voldemort with their bare hands.

" **I see…"**

" **My Lord, I do not say this out of concern for the boy!" said Wormtail, his voice rising squeakily. "The boy is nothing to me, nothing at all!**

Sirius' hands were balled into fist and his face was red. "Of course not," he spat. "Why should the son of one of your supposed best friends mean anything to you?"

Remus' eyes were glowing amber; Tonks grabbed his hand in an attempt to calm him down.

**It is merely that if we were to use another witch or wizard — any wizard — the thing could be done so much more quickly!**

"What can be done more quickly?" Neville asked shooting his friend a worried look.

"I'm sure the book will say," Harry said, he didn't feel like talking about Voldemort's resurrection.

**If you allowed me to leave you for a short while — you know that I can disguise myself most effectively — I could be back here in as little as two days with a suitable person —"**

" **I could use another wizard," said the cold voice softly, "that is true…"**

Everyone who didn't know about the graveyard which was almost everyone looked like they wanted to ask what Voldemort wanted to use Harry for, but if he wouldn't answer Neville he wouldn't answer any of them.

" **My Lord, it makes sense," said Wormtail, sounding thoroughly relieved now. "Laying hands on Harry Potter would be so difficult, he is so well protected —"**

Harry internally snorted; if he had been that protected he never would've been taken to the graveyard.

" **And so you volunteer to go and fetch me a substitute?**

 _'It wouldn't have been that hard to find a substitute.'_ Harry thought. _'Almost everyone can be considered his enemy.'_ But a part of him was glad that it had been him and not someone else, no one deserved to go through what he did in the graveyard. He looked around at all of his friends. _'Better me than any of them.'_

**I wonder… perhaps the task of nursing me has become wearisome for you, Wormtail?**

"Probably," Sirius said angrily.

**Could this suggestion of abandoning the plan be nothing more than an attempt to desert me?"**

"Most likely," Sirius snarled. "He obviously has no loyalty."

" **My Lord! I — I have no wish to leave you, none at all —"**

 _'Don't lie to him.'_ Snape thought.

Lucius' sneer became more pronounced. _'Like he'd believe that.'_

" **Do not lie to me!" hissed the second voice. "I can always tell, Wormtail!**

Snape and Lucius both nodded unconsciously.

**You are regretting that you ever returned to me. I revolt you. I see you flinch when you look at me, feel you shudder when you touch me…"**

"I don't blame him," Harry muttered.

" **No! My devotion to Your Lordship —"**

" **Your devotion is nothing more than cowardice.**

"Maybe if you didn't treat your followers like scum they wouldn't be so scared of you," Harry said rolling his eyes.

**You would not be here if you had anywhere else to go. How am I to survive without you, when I need feeding every few hours?**

"I didn't peg You-Know-Who as the type to depend on others," Susan mused.

"He's not," Harry said dryly. "But there was no other way for him to build up strength."

**Who is to milk Nagini?"**

" **But you seem so much stronger, My Lord —"**

" **Liar," breathed the second voice.**

"I wouldn't make him angry if I were you," Harry muttered, he knew what happened to those who angered Voldemort.

" **I am no stronger, and a few days alone would be enough to rob me of the little health I have regained under your clumsy care.** _ **Silence**_ **!"**

**Wormtail, who had been sputtering incoherently, fell silent at once. For a few seconds, Frank could hear nothing but the fire crackling. Then the second man spoke once more, in a whisper that was almost a hiss.**

" **I have my reasons for using the boy, as I have already explained to you, and I will use no other.**

"You should feel honored Harrikins!" The twins exclaimed trying to defuse the tension.

If the glares they received were any indication, Daphne's, Ron's and Hermione's being the worse than it didn't work.

**I have waited thirteen years. A few more months will make no difference. As for the protection surrounding the boy, I believe my plan will be effective.**

Moody growled; he knew that part of his plan was to have that death eater scum masquerade as him.

**All that is needed is a little courage from you, Wormtail —**

Harry and Ron both snorted.

"Good luck with that," Ron said sarcastically.

**courage you will find, unless you wish to feel the full extent of Lord Voldemort's wrath —"**

Harry shuddered, thinking of the cruciatus curse.

Hermione and Ron sent Harry worried looks than exchanged confused looks with each other. What happened in the graveyard? They wanted to know, but a part of them was scared at what they'd find out.

Daphne leaned her head on Harry's shoulder, he let go of her hand and put it around her waist. He was finding comfort being so close to Daphne.

Cho and Ginny both felt their jealousy increase.

Ginny tried to push her jealous thoughts away. _'I have a boyfriend, I shouldn't care about Harry and some Slytherin girl.'_ She glanced to Michael at the Ravenclaw table.

Tracey and Lily were watching their best friend and the Boy-Who-Lived from the Slytherin table, they both smiled at the scene, they were happy that Daphne found herself a good guy.

" **My Lord, I must speak!" said Wormtail, panic in his voice now. "All through our journey I have gone over the plan in my head — My Lord, Bertha Jorkin's disappearance will not go unnoticed for long, and if we proceed, if I murder —"**

Amelia couldn't stop herself from gasping.

Rufus and Fudge had both gone wide eyed.

"Was he responsible for her disappearance?" Amelia asked looking at Dumbledore.

"I am afraid so Amelia," Dumbledore answered gravely.

" **If?" whispered the second voice. "** _ **If**_ **? If you follow the plan, Wormtail, the Ministry need never know that anyone else has died.**

Harry sighed, unfortunately someone else had died, an innocent someone.

**You will do it quietly and without fuss; I only wish that I could do it myself, but in my present condition…Come, Wormtail, one more death and our path to Harry Potter is clear.**

Harry ignored the worried looks sent his way.

**I am not asking you to do it alone. By that time, my** _**faithful** _ **servant will have rejoined us —"**

Moody growled again. _'Filthy death eater scum.'_

" **I am a faithful servant," said Wormtail, the merest trace of sullenness in his voice.**

A few people snorted.

" **Wormtail, I need somebody with brains, somebody whose loyalty has never wavered, and you, unfortunately, fulfill neither requirement."**

"If it wasn't You-Know-Who who said that, I'd find it funny," Ron admitted.

"Ron!" Hermione hissed.

"What?" Ron asked confusedly.

Hermione rolled her eyes and muttered something that sounded like 'boys'.

" **I found you," said Wormtail, and there was definitely a sulky edge to his voice now. "I was the one who found you. I brought you Bertha Jorkins."**

"He sounds like a five year old that didn't get enough attention from daddy," Katie said looking disgusted.

"They want his approval," Harry said, obvious revulsion in his voice.

Lucius narrowed his eyes in Harry's direction.

" **That is true," said the second man, sounding amused. "A stroke of brilliance I would not have thought possible from you, Wormtail**

"Me either," Sirius muttered angrily.

— **though, if truth be told, you were not aware how useful she would be when you caught her, were you?"**

" **I — I thought she might be useful, My Lord —"**

" **Liar," said the second voice again, the cruel amusement more pronounced than ever.**

"Cruel amusement?" Lavender repeated horrified.

" **However, I do not deny that her information was invaluable. Without it, I could never have formed our plan, and for that, you will have your reward, Wormtail. I will allow you to perform an essential task for me, one that many of my followers would give their right hands to perform…"**

Harry blanched, he was sure Wormtail hadn't known that Voldemort had meant it literally.

" **R-really, My Lord? What —?" Wormtail sounded terrified again.**

" **Ah, Wormtail, you don't want me to spoil the surprise?**

"I don't think I'd like a surprise from him," Dennis said quietly.

**Your part will come at the very end…but I promise you, you will have the honor of being just as useful as Bertha Jorkins."**

"That's ominous," Susan said.

" **You…you…" Wormtail's voice suddenly sounded hoarse, as though his mouth had gone very dry. "You…are going…to kill me too?"**

Fudge shook his head sadly; he would now have to tell the press that Bertha Jorkins had been murdered by Voldemort.

" **Wormtail, Wormtail," said the cold voice silkily, "why would I kill you?** **I killed Bertha because I had to.**

"Had to?" Fleur said. "You never have to kill anyone."

Bill squeezed his girlfriend's hand in comfort.

**She was fit for nothing after my questioning, quite useless.**

Neville made a horrified face. _'The Cruciatus curse.'_

**In any case, awkward questions would have been asked if she had gone back to the Ministry with the news that she had met you on her holidays. Wizards who are supposed to be dead would do well not to run into Ministry of Magic witches at wayside inns…"**

A few people raised their eyebrows, that was an odd place for two magical people to run into each other.

**Wormtail muttered something so quietly that Frank could not hear it, but it made the second man laugh — an entirely mirthless laugh, cold as his speech.**

Harry shuddered again, he couldn't help it.

Daphne sat up and gave Harry a kiss. "It's going to be okay," she said quietly, her lips still touching his. She pulled back and Harry gave her a small smile, she returned it than put her head back on his shoulder.

Cho and Ginny couldn't stop the feelings of jealousy that arose in them when the new couple kissed.

Around the hall several girls were wishing that is was them Harry Potter was kissing.

" _ **We could have modified her memory**_ **? But Memory Charms can be broken by a powerful wizard, as I proved when I questioned her.**

"Arrogant," Dean said.

**It would be an insult to her** _**memory** _ **not to use the information I extracted from her, Wormtail."**

Incredulous looks were sent towards the book.

"His mind works in weird ways," Fred said shaking his head.

"Mental he is," George said.

"Fred! George!" Molly hissed.

"What?" The twins asked in unison.

"Do you want to be murdered in your beds?" Molly asked with a worried look towards a glaring Lucius.

"We'll be fine," Fred said waving a hand.

"Yeah, it's not like we're the first ones to say something bad about him," George said dismissing her concerns.

**Out in the corridor, Frank suddenly became aware that the hand gripping his walking stick was slippery with sweat. The man with the cold voice had killed a woman.**

"He's killed more than one," Harry said quietly.

**He was talking about it without any kind of remorse — with amusement.**

Many of the students looked sick.

**He was dangerous — a madman.**

"A psychotic sociopath," Hermione murmured.

**And he was planning more murders — this boy, Harry Potter, whoever he was — was in danger —**

_'I'm always in danger.'_ Harry thought once again ignoring everyone's worried looks.

**Frank knew what he must do. Now, if ever, was the time to go to the police.**

"They wouldn't do any good," Tonks said shaking her head, her hair had turned brown. "He would just kill them."

**He would creep out of the house and head straight for the telephone box in the village…but the cold voice was speaking again, and Frank remained where he was, frozen to the spot, listening with all his might.**

" **One more murder… my faithful servant at Hogwarts… Harry Potter is as good as mine, Wormtail.**

"Who's his faithful servant?" Roger asked.

Moody growled while Harry sighed.

"I'm sure the book will say eventually," Harry said.

**It is decided. There will be no more argument. But quiet…I think I hear Nagini…"**

**And the second man's voice changed. He started making noises such as Frank had never heard before; he was hissing and spitting without drawing breath.**

"Is that what parseltongue sounds like?" Harry asked looking at his two best friends who nodded. "I never knew, to me it just sounds like English."

**Frank thought he must be having some sort of fit or seizure.**

"It sort of does sound like a seizure," Hermione said.

**And then Frank heard movement behind him in the dark passageway. He turned to look, and found himself paralyzed with fright.**

Harry grimaced; Nagini was frightening enough to terrify anyone.

"Oh no," Hannah gasped. "What's wrong?"

**Something was slithering toward him along the dark corridor floor, and as it drew nearer to the sliver of firelight, he realized with a thrill of terror that it was a gigantic snake, at least twelve feet long.**

The hall looked at the book wide eyed.

"A twelve foot long snake?" Neville said faintly, he didn't like small snakes let alone big ones.

"And knowing You-Know-Who it's a twelve foot long venomous snake," Derek said with a grimace.

**Horrified, transfixed, Frank stared as its undulating body cut wide, curving track through the thick dust on the floor, coming closer and closer —**

"Run!" Several people shouted.

Harry shook his head, if only it was that easy.

**What was he to do? The only means of escape was into the room where the two men sat plotting murder, yet if he stayed where he was the snake would surely kill him —**

"This isn't good, this really isn't good," Orla said from her spot at the Ravenclaw table.

**But before he had made his decision, the snake was level with him, and then, incredibly, miraculously, it was passing; it was following the spitting, hissing noises made by the cold voice beyond the door, and in seconds, the tip of its diamond-patterned tail had vanished through the gap.**

"What?" Several people said in shock.

"The snake didn't do anything?" Ritchie asked surprised.

"I assume he's telling Voldemort that there's a muggle outside the door," Amelia said stiffly.

Harry nodded grimly, that's exactly what Nagini had done.

**There was sweat on Frank's forehead now, and the hand on the walking stick was trembling. Inside the room, the cold voice was continuing to hiss, and Frank was visited by a strange idea, an impossible idea…** _**This man could talk to snakes** _ **.**

"It's not impossible," Andrew said with a glance towards Harry.

**Frank didn't understand what was going on.**

"You don't want to," Katie said sadly.

**He wanted more than anything to be back in his bed with his hot-water bottle. The problem was that his legs didn't seem to want to move.**

"I don't blame the man for freezing," Harry said quietly so only a few people around him could hear.

**As he stood there shaking and trying to master himself, the cold voice switched abruptly to English again.**

" **Nagini has interesting news, Wormtail," it said.**

"Oh no!" Parvati gasped.

" **In-indeed, My Lord?" said Wormtail.**

" **Indeed, yes," said the voice, "According to Nagini, there is an old Muggle standing right outside this room, listening to every word we say."**

A few people's hands flew to their mouths in horror.

"He doesn't stand a chance," Zacharias said matter of fact.

Almost the entire hall turned to glare at the Hufflepuff; it was obvious that he didn't think he said anything wrong.

**Frank didn't have a chance to hide himself. There were footsteps and then the door of the room was flung wide open.**

**A short, balding man with greying hair, a pointed nose, and small, watery eyes stood before Frank, a mixture of fear and alarm in his face.**

Sirius and Remus both shook their heads in disgust. Wormtail gave up his best friends to work for a man he was terrified of and who he didn't even like.

" **Invite him inside, Wormtail. Where are your manners?"**

"I think he'd rather stay out there," Patricia said faintly. "I know I would."

**The cold voice was coming from the ancient armchair before the fire, but Frank couldn't see the speaker.**

"You wouldn't want to," Harry muttered.

**The snake, on the other hand, was curled up on the rotting hearth rug, like some horrible travesty of a pet dog.**

The hall looked disgusted.

"Lovely description," Ron said dryly.

**Wormtail beckoned Frank into the room.**

"Don't go in," Hannah said worriedly.

**Though still deeply shaken, Frank took a firmer grip on his walking stick and limped over the threshold.**

"He was brave," McGonagall said to Sprout who nodded.

**The fire was the only source of light in the room; it cast long, spidery shadows upon the walls.**

Ron shuddered.

**Frank stared at the back of the armchair; the man inside it seemed to be even smaller than his servant, for Frank couldn't even see the back of his head.**

" **You heard everything, Muggle?" said the cold voice.**

" **What's that you're calling me?" said Frank defiantly, for now that he was inside the room, now that the time had come for some sort of action, he felt braver; it had always been so in the war.**

"He would've been in Gryffindor had he been a wizard," Angelina said fondly.

"He kind of reminds me of you Harry," Ron said, when Harry's eyebrows rose, Ron elaborated. "You always feel braver when the time for action comes."

" **I am calling you a Muggle," said the voice coolly. "It means that you are not a wizard."**

" **I don't know what you mean by wizard," said Frank, his voice growing steadier. "All I know is I've heard enough to interest the police tonight, I have. You've done murder and you're planning more! And I'll tell you this too," he added, on a sudden inspiration, "my wife knows I'm up here, and if I don't come back —"**

"Lying to him won't help you," Narcissa said, speaking for the first time.

A few people looked startled they had forgotten she was in the hall.

" **You have no wife," said the cold voice, very quietly.**

 _'He always knows.'_ Snape thought.

" **Nobody knows you are here. You told nobody that you were coming. Do not lie to Lord Voldemort, Muggle, for he knows…he always knows…"**

"Talking about himself in the third person?" Fred said incredulously.

"As if he couldn't be any more arrogant," George said shaking his head.

The twins ignored the half horrified; half worried look their mother sent them.

" **Is that right?" said Frank roughly. "Lord, is it?**

 _'Tom's arrogance will be his downfall.'_ Dumbledore thought.

**Well, I don't think much of your manners,** _**My Lord** _ **.**

"He had guts," Sirius said with a twitch of his lips.

**Turn 'round and face me like a man, why don't you?"**

A few people sighed; this was only going to make him madder.

" **But I am not a man, Muggle,"**

 _'He's got one thing right.'_ Harry thought as Voldemort's snake like face swam to the front of his mind.

**said the cold voice, barely audible now over the crackling of the flames. "I am much, much more than a man. However…why not?**

Many people in the hall were thinking the same thing: arrogant.

**I will face you…Wormtail, come turn my chair around."**

**The servant gave a whimper.**

"The servant," Sirius spat. "That's fitting."

" **You heard me, Wormtail."**

**Slowly, with his face screwed up, as though he would rather have done anything than approach his master and the hearth rug where the snake lay,**

"He probably would've rather done anything else," Remus said bitterly.

**the small man walked forward and began to turn the chair. The snake lifted its ugly triangular head and hissed slightly as the legs of the chair snagged on its rug.**

**And then the chair was facing Frank, and he saw what was sitting in it.** **His walking stick fell to the floor with a clatter. He opened his mouth and let out a scream.**

"Is he that bad?" Lavender asked Harry hesitantly.

Harry grimaced, "Yes."

**He was screaming so loudly that he never heard the words the thing in the chair spoke as it raised a wand. There was a flash of green light, a rushing sound, and Frank Bryce crumpled.**

A few people let out a gasp.

Luna had tears in her large silver-gray eyes.

"That's horrible," Hannah said looking faint.

**He was dead before he hit the floor.**

There was a moment of silence for the dead man.

**Two hundred miles away, the boy called Harry Potter woke with a start.**

"What?" Several people asked.

"Was that a dream or was it real?" Seamus asked looking confused.

"It was real," Harry sighed. "But I also dreamt it."

"What?" Even more people asked; everyone in the hall but a select few was confused.

"It'll be explained I'm sure," Harry said tiredly.

A few people looked at him oddly but everyone dropped the subject for now.

"That was the end of the chapter," Blaise said as he closed the book. "Who wants to read the next chapter?"

"I will," Lily said grabbing the book from her friend's hand.

"Are you okay Harry?" Daphne asked moving so she could look Harry in the eyes, he looked slightly frustrated.

"I'll be okay," Harry answered quietly. "I'm just really not looking forward to reading this book."

Daphne leaned forward and gave her boyfriend a kiss. "I'll be here for you," she said once she pulled away.

"Thank you," Harry said, putting his arm back around her waist.

Hermione smiled as she watched Harry and Daphne, she was just the kind of girl that Harry needed.


	3. The Scar

**"The Scar,"** Lily read out.

Harry grimaced, just what he wanted, a chapter on his scar.

**Harry lay flat on his back, breathing hard as though he had been running. He had awoken from a vivid dream with his hands pressed over his face.**

Harry was sent many worried looks.

Pomfrey was frowning, that didn't sound good.

"Were you alright dear?" Molly asked looking worried.

"I was fine Mrs. Weasley," Harry said.

"You obviously weren't fine," Daphne said quietly so that only Harry could hear.

"There's no reason to worry everyone over something that happened a year ago," Harry shrugged.

"You're important Harry, just as important as everyone else," Daphne said seriously. "If you aren't feeling well say so, no one will think any less of you."

"You've read how I grew up," Harry said trying to keep his voice quiet so only his girlfriend would hear. "It's hard to get over not being able to go to anyone when I don't feel well."

"Well you have me now," Daphne said grabbing Harry's free hand, the one that wasn't around her waist. "And I don't know your friends or godfather but I can already tell that they'd be there for you too."

"I can try," Harry said, "but I can't promise you that it'll be easy."

"I don't expect it to be," Daphne said giving him a quick kiss.

**The old scar on his forehead, which was shaped like a bolt of lightning, was burning beneath his fingers as though someone had just pressed a white-hot wire to his skin.**

A few people winced in sympathy.

"Does it do that often?" Daphne asked in his ear.

Harry thought that it was best to be honest with her. "Yes, it started after third year, around this time in the book."

Daphne frowned, she didn't like the idea that Harry was often in pain.

**He sat up, one hand still on his scar,**

Harry brushed a finger over his scar as a twinge of pain shot through it.

**the other hand reaching out in the darkness for his glasses, which were on the bedside table. He put them on and his bedroom came into clearer focus, lit by a faint, misty orange light that was filtering through the curtains from the street lamp outside the window.**

**Harry ran his fingers over the scar again. It was still painful.**

Ron looked at his best friend with a pained look, he had been jealous of that scar for so long. But what came with it? Terrifying dreams and a lot of pain. He shook his head, he felt so stupid.

**He turned on the lamp beside him, scrambled out of bed, crossed the room, opened his wardrobe, and peered into the mirror on the inside of the door. A skinny boy of fourteen looked back at him,**

"More like scrawny," Fred teased.

"Oi!" Harry said indignantly.

**his bright green eyes puzzled under his untidy black hair.**

Daphne ruffled his black hair. "I think it's cute."

Harry blushed as his friends snickered.

Cho was glaring at Daphne. _'That should be me running my hands through his hair, not her.'_

**He examined the lightning-bolt scar of his reflection more closely. It looked normal, but it was still stinging.**

**Harry tried to recall what he had been dreaming about before he had awoken.**

"You can't remember it?" Angelina asked frowning.

"When I have those sorts of dreams they're usually fuzzy," Harry said.

"You have those kinds of dreams often?" Angelina asked her frown deepening.

"Sometimes," Harry admitted.

Umbridge looked triumphant, now people would see just how demented the boy was. "So you admit to having disturbed dreams?"

"Just because he has horrible dreams doesn't mean he's crazy," Hermione said angrily, she knew where Umbridge was heading with that question.

"You aren't a healer Miss Granger," Umbridge simpered. "Do not speak of things you know nothing about."

"Last time I checked you weren't a healer either," Ron snapped.

Umbridge's face was beginning to turn red from anger. "Do not speak to me like that."

"Dolores," Fudge hissed looking both angry and embarrassed. She was only digging them both into a deeper hole with her attitude towards Harry Potter.

Umbridge's mouth snapped shut but her eyes were promising suffering to Harry and his friends.

**It had seemed so real…**

"That's because it was," Harry muttered.

**There had been two people he knew and one he didn't…**

Moody growled as he thought about the scum who impersonated him for an entire year.

**He concentrated hard, frowning, trying to remember…**

"If I were you I wouldn't try too hard to remember," Alicia said with a grimace. "That's not something you want to dwell on."

**The dim picture of a darkened room came to him… There had been a snake on a hearth rug… a small man called Peter, nicknamed Wormtail…**

"AKA filthy cowardly traitor," Ron spat.

**and a cold, high voice…the voice of Lord Voldemort. Harry felt as though an ice cube had slipped down into his stomach at the very thought…**

Harry shivered; Voldemort's voice still haunted his dreams. He unconsciously pulled Daphne closer to him, she didn't seem to mind.

**He closed his eyes tightly and tried to remember what Voldemort had looked like, but it was impossible…**

"Why would you want to look at him?" Katie asked looking faintly disgusted.

"I wanted to know what he looked like," Harry said.

**All Harry knew was that at the moment when Voldemort's chair had swung around, and he, Harry, had seen what was sitting in it, he had felt a spasm of horror, which had awoken him…**

"I would be questioning your sanity if you weren't scared," Ron said.

**or had that been the pain in his scar?**

"It might have been both," Remus said. "Seeing Voldemort might've caused the pain in your scar which in turn caused you to wake up."

"Probably," Harry said.

**And who had the old man been? For there had definitely been an old man; Harry had watched him fall to the ground.**

Harry closed his eyes again but quickly opened them, when he closed them he saw the dead bodies of all those he had lost. He didn't want to see his mother falling to the ground or the life draining from Cedric's eyes.

**It was all becoming confused. Harry put his face into his hands, blocking out his bedroom, trying to hold on to the picture of that dimly lit room,**

"Don't focus on it," Lavender said with a grimace. If he focused on it then they would have to hear it.

**but it was like trying to keep water in his cupped hands; the details were now trickling away as fast as he tried to hold on to them…**

"Does that happen when you have those dreams?" Daphne asked curiously.

"Yes," Harry answered. "They're clear when I first wake up but they quickly begin to fade and it becomes hard for me to recall what exactly happened."

**Voldemort and Wormtail had been talking about someone they had killed, though Harry could not remember the name…**

The adults with the exception of Snape and Umbridge looked at the book sadly.

"I can't believe she's dead," Fudge said faintly, he still hadn't gotten over the shock of the last chapter.

**and they had been plotting to kill someone else…** _**him** _ **!**

"That's such a lovely thought to wake up to," Lee snorted.

"Isn't it?" Harry asked sarcastically.

**Harry took his face out of his hands, opened his eyes, and stared around his bedroom as though expecting to see something unusual there. As it happened, there were an extraordinary number of unusual things in this room.**

"Really?" Tonks said frowning; she didn't remember seeing anything unusual in his room.

**A large wooden trunk stood open at the foot of his bed, revealing a cauldron, broomstick, black robes, and assorted spell books. Rolls of parchment littered that part of his desk that was not taken up by the large, empty cage in which his snowy owl, Hedwig, usually perched.**

"That's not unusual," Tonks said.

"I'm sure this is like the first three books Tonks," Kingsley said. "It's written so those who don't understand the magical world will be able to follow it."

Lucius sneered. _'Only magical people are reading the book so why in Salazar's name is it written for filthy muggles?'_

**On the floor beside his bed a book lay open; Harry had been reading it before he fell asleep last night.**

"What?" The twins and Ron said in shock.

"You've gone to the dark side!" George said clutching his heart.

"How could you!" Fred said bursting into fake sobs.

The students laughed while the adults just looked resigned to their outbursts.

**The pictures in this book were all moving. Men in bright orange robes were zooming in and out of sight on broomsticks, throwing a red ball to one another.**

"Oh, that's okay then," Fred said, he stopped fake crying at once.

"The Chudley Cannons," Ron said grinning.

"They're horrible," Draco sneered.

"No one asked you," Ron snapped.

Lucius and Narcissa both glared at Ron while Draco just gave him a disdainful look.

**Harry walked over to the book, picked it up, and watched one of the wizards score a spectacular goal by putting the ball through a fifty-foot-high hoop. Then he snapped the book shut.**

"The cannons are horrible," Draco muttered.

**Even Quidditch — in Harry's opinion, the best sport in the world —**

The Quidditch nuts nodded enthusiastically in agreement.

**couldn't distract him at the moment.**

Fred and George gasped in horror, Harry rolled his eyes are their antics.

**He placed** _**Flying with the Cannons** _ **on his bedside table, crossed to the window, and drew back the curtains to survey the street below.**

**Privet Drive looked exactly as a respectable suburban street would be expected to look in the early hours of Saturday morning.**

"Let me guess," Fred said tapping his chin.

"Boring?" George guessed looking thoughtful.

"Very," Harry said dryly.

**All the curtains were closed. As far as Harry could see through the darkness, there wasn't a living creature in sight, not even a cat.**

_'Which is surprising; really.'_ Harry thought. _'Mrs. Figg's cats are always lurking about.'_

**And yet… and yet…**

"Please tell me nothing bad is about to happen," Molly asked worriedly as she looked pleadingly at Harry.

"No," Harry said quickly.

"I think he's just going to brood," Ron guessed.

**Harry went restlessly back to the bed and sat down on it, running a finger over his scar again. It wasn't the pain that bothered him;**

"Of course not," Hermione said glaring at her best friend.

Pomfrey tisked. _'Mr. Potter needs to learn to take better care of himself.'_

The adults frowned; it wasn't a good thing that he was so used to pain that it didn't bother him anymore.

**Harry was no stranger to pain and injury.**

"Unfortunately he's correct," said a frowning Madam Pomfrey.

**He had lost all the bones from his right arm once and had them painfully re-grown in a night.**

"I still want to know how that idiot Lockhart managed that," Sirius said looking both angry and annoyed.

"There's a simple explanation and you already said it, he's an idiot," Ron said as though it was obvious.

Molly looked like she wanted to reprimand her son for calling a teacher an idiot but the man tried to erase both his and Harry's memories, and she herself wanted to curse the man so she stayed silent.

"Lockhart couldn't handle even the most simple of spells," Harry said with a shrug. "Looking back I'm not really that surprised that he removed all my bones in my arm."

Madam Pomfrey was scowling; she disliked that man with a passion.

**The same arm had been pierced by a venomous foot-long fang not long afterward.**

The adults' expressions darkened at the mention of the basilisk.

"Do you have a scar?" Daphne asked quietly.

"No," Harry said shaking his head. "Thankfully Fawkes healed in completely, I don't need any more scars." _'Especially not now that I have one on my hand.'_ He added in his head.

**Only last year Harry had fallen fifty feet from an airborne broomstick.**

"You get hurt too much," Daphne said frowning.

"It usually isn't my fault," Harry said in his defense.

"I know," Daphne sighed. "But I still don't like it."

**He was used to bizarre accidents and injuries; they were unavoidable if you attended Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry**

"Actually they are," Dean said with one raised eyebrow. "The rest of us don't get injured that much."

**and had a knack for attracting a lot of trouble.**

"Ah," Dean said. "That makes more sense."

**No, the thing that was bothering Harry was the last time his scar had hurt him, it had been because Voldemort had been close by…**

People in fifth year and above shuddered as they thought about how close they had been to Voldemort for an entire school year.

**But Voldemort couldn't be here, now… The idea of Voldemort lurking in Privet Drive was absurd, impossible…**

"Wouldn't it be funny if You-Know-Who jumped out from behind a hedge," George said amusedly.

"Or a garbage bin," Fred said smirking.

"Boys," Molly said warningly while a few people snickered.

"I don't think it'd be funny at all," Hermione said seriously.

Those that had been snickering stopped when they saw the looks on Hermione's, Daphne's, Alicia's, Katie's and Angelina's faces.

**Harry listened closely to the silence around him.**

"Good boy," Moody said approvingly. "Constant vigilance."

**Was he half expecting to hear the creak of a stair or the swish of a cloak?**

"You're turning into Mad-Eye mate," Ron said snickering.

"Oi!" Harry shouted indignantly.

**And then he jumped slightly as he heard his cousin Dudley give a tremendous grunting snore from the next room.**

The twins snickered.

"Was little Harrikins scared?" George asked with a grin.

"Oh shut up George," Harry said rolling his eyes.

 **Harry shook himself mentally; he was being stupid. There was no one in the house with him except Uncle Vernon,** **Aunt Petunia,** **and Dudley,**

"Unfortunately," Harry muttered.

**and they were plainly still asleep, their dreams untroubled and painless.**

**Asleep was the way Harry liked the Dursleys best;**

"I don't blame you mate," Ron said.

**it wasn't as though they were ever any help to him awake. Uncle Vernon, Aunt Petunia, and Dudley were Harry's only living relatives.**

"That doesn't make them family," Ron said smiling at his best friend.

"I know Ron, thanks," Harry said returning his smile.

**They were Muggles who hated and despised magic in any form,**

Many of the Slytherins looked insulted.

"I don't want to hear about these muggles again," Theo said annoyed.

**which meant that Harry was about as welcome in their house as dry rot.**

A few people glowered at the book.

**They had explained away Harry's long absences at Hogwarts over the last three years by telling everyone that he went to St. Brutus's Secure Center for Incurably Criminal Boys.**

Sirius growled and narrowed his eyes at the book.

"Does that bother you?" Daphne asked quietly.

"I'm used to it," Harry said with a shrug.

Daphne frowned, that didn't mean it didn't bother him.

**They knew perfectly well that, as an underage wizard, Harry wasn't allowed to use magic outside Hogwarts, but they were still apt to blame him for anything that went wrong about the house.**

"Of course," Hermione said scathingly, she hated the fact that Harry lived with these people for fifteen years.

**Harry had never been able to confide in them or tell them anything about his life in the wizarding world.**

Pitying looks were sent his way; he should've been able to talk to his own family.

**The very idea of going to them when they awoke, and telling them about his scar hurting him, and about his worries about Voldemort, was laughable.**

"It is," Harry said agreeing with his past self's thoughts.

"You can tell me now," Daphne whispered in his ear.

Harry couldn't stop the small smile that graced his lips.

**And yet it was because of Voldemort that Harry had come to live with the Dursleys in the first place.**

Harry internally sighed; he should've known that the book would mention his parents' deaths yet again.

**If it hadn't been for Voldemort, Harry would not have had the lightning scar on his forehead.**

Harry subconsciously flattened his fringe over his scar.

**If it hadn't been for Voldemort, Harry would still have had parents…**

_'And if it hadn't been for the traitor.'_ Harry thought viciously.

**Harry had been a year old the night that Voldemort — the most powerful Dark wizard for a century, a wizard who had been gaining power steadily for eleven years — arrived at his house and killed his father and mother.**

Snape felt a pang of guilt. He was the one who had told the Dark Lord of the prophecy, it was his fault that his precious Lily was dead and it was his fault her son got sent to live with abusive muggles.

Sirius looked down sadly at the table.

Tonks grabbed Remus' hand in silent support.

**Voldemort had then turned his wand on Harry;**

The sad look in Sirius' eyes turned quickly to anger.

Daphne's grip on Harry's hand tightened and she scooted so close to him that she was almost on his lap. They had been only dating for a day and already it was hurting her to hear about bad things happening to him.

**he had performed the curse that had disposed of many full-grown witches and wizards in his steady rise to power —**

All of those who had lost someone in the first war looked down sadly.

**and, incredibly, it had not worked. Instead of killing the small boy, the curse had rebounded upon Voldemort.**

Everyone was still wondering exactly how that had happened.

Harry glanced up at Dumbledore. _'You know exactly why that happened, there has to be more to it than just my mother loving me, all mothers love their children.'_

**Harry had survived with nothing but a lightning-shaped cut on his forehead,**

"Stupid scar," Harry muttered.

**and Voldemort had been reduced to something barely alive.**

"It doesn't make sense that he lived through it at all," Susan murmured.

**His powers gone, his life almost extinguished, Voldemort had fled;**

"And eventually into Quirrell," Ron said with a grimace.

A few people joined Ron in grimacing.

**the terror in which the secret community of witches and wizards had lived for so long had lifted,**

"A false sense of security," Amelia said gravely.

Umbridge was glaring at the book; she wanted to hear something to make everyone see what a little liar Potter was. All this was doing was gaining the boy more sympathy.

**Voldemort's followers had disbanded,**

"Most of them bribed their way out of Azkaban," Moody growled.

Lucius sneered when a few people glanced at him.

**and Harry Potter had become famous.**

"Lucky me," Harry muttered bitterly.

**It had been enough of a shock for Harry to discover, on his eleventh birthday, that he was a wizard;**

"Understatement," Harry said shaking his head.

"All muggle raised witches and wizards find it to be a shock," McGonagall said. "It is hard to believe if you weren't raised around magic."

**it had been even more disconcerting to find out that everyone in the hidden wizarding world knew his name.**

"That had been the weirdest part," Harry admitted.

Narcissa was frowning, Harry didn't seem at all like the arrogant boy her son described him to be.

**Harry had arrived at Hogwarts to find that heads turned and whispers followed him wherever he went.**

A few people shifted in their seats slightly.

**But he was used to it now:**

Hermione and Ron gave Harry incredulous looks.

"Okay, so maybe I'm not completely used to it," Harry said sheepishly.

**At the end of this summer, he would be starting his fourth year at Hogwarts, and Harry was already counting the days until he would be back at the castle again.**

All of the muggleborns and a few others nodded enthusiastically in agreement of that.

"I'm always excited to go back to Hogwarts, even though I do miss my family when I'm here," Justin said.

**But there was still a fortnight to go before he went back to school. He looked hopelessly around his room again, and his eye paused on the birthday cards his two best friends had sent him at the end of July. What would they say if Harry wrote to them and told them about his scar hurting?**

"We'd be worried." Hermione and Ron both said in unison.

 _'Which is why I didn't write to you two.'_ Harry thought. _'It would only cause you to worry.'_

**At once, Hermione Granger's voice seemed to fill his head, shrill and panicky.**

Ron started to snicker but instantly stopped when Hermione glared at him.

" _ **Your scar hurt? Harry, that's really serious… Write to Professor Dumbledore!**_

"You should've," Molly said frowning.

_**And I'll go and check** _ **Common Magical Ailments and Afflictions** _**… Maybe there's something in there about curse scars…** _ **"**

"That sounds exactly like Hermione," Ron said agreeing with Harry's past self.

"It really does," Hermione admitted.

**Yes, that would be Hermione's advice: Go straight to the headmaster of Hogwarts, and in the meantime, consult a book.**

Fred and George covered their snorts with coughs.

**Harry stared out of the window at the inky blue-black sky. He doubted very much whether a book could help him now.**

Madam Pomfrey sighed, there was no book that gave details on the effects of surviving the killing curse because no one had survived it before Harry.

**As far as he knew, he was the only living person to have survived a curse like Voldemort's;**

"You are." Several people said at once.

**it was highly unlikely, therefore, that he would find his symptoms listed in** _**Common Magical Ailments and Afflictions** _ **.**

"You have a point," Hermione said reluctantly, she didn't like the idea of an answer not being in a book. "You're the only person to have survived the killing curse so books wouldn't be of much use in your case."

The students looked shocked that Hermione Granger of all people was saying that a book wouldn't be of use.

The twins were staring at her like she had three heads.

"Oh honestly," Hermione said in exasperation. "I don't think books are perfect."

**As for informing the headmaster, Harry had no idea where Dumbledore went during the summer holidays.**

"Do you go on vacation sir?" Justin asked curiously.

"Sadly I usually don't have the time to vacation Mr. Finch-Fletchley," Dumbledore said sounding amused.

**He amused himself for a moment, picturing Dumbledore, with his long silver beard, full length wizard's robes, and pointed hat, stretched out on a beach somewhere, rubbing suntan lotion onto his long crooked nose.**

The hall burst into laughter at the mental image, even Dumbledore looked amused.

Umbridge looked revolted at the very thought.

**Wherever Dumbledore was, though, Harry was sure that Hedwig would be able to find him; Harry's owl had never yet failed to deliver a letter to anyone, even without an address.**

"She's intelligent," Charlie said.

"She is," Harry said with a fond smile.

**But what would he write?**

_**Dear Professor Dumbledore,** _

"Good start," George said nodding.

"Not just a good start my dear brother, an excellent start," Fred said in a pompous voice.

Harry snorted.

_**Sorry to bother you, but my scar hurt this morning.** _

"Straight to the point and simple," Anthony said.

_**Yours sincerely, Harry Potter.** _

"That would be a weird letter," Ernie said.

**Even inside his head the words sounded stupid.**

"It's because it is," Draco muttered.

Astoria heard him and sent a glare.

**And so he tried to imagine his other best friend, Ron Weasley's, reaction, and in a moment, Ron's red hair and long-nosed, freckled face seemed to swim before Harry, wearing a bemused expression.**

A few students snickered while Ron's ears turned red.

"Nice description," Ron grumbled.

" _ **Your scar hurt? But…but You-Know-Who can't be near you now, can he? I mean…you'd know, wouldn't you? He'd be trying to do you in again, wouldn't he?**_

The twins snorted at the wording.

"Lovely way to put it," Hermione said with a grimace.

_**I dunno, Harry, maybe curse scars always twinge a bit…I'll ask Dad…** _ **"**

"That sounds like Ron," Hermione said.

"You definitely know them well," Neville told Harry gesturing to Hermione and Ron.

**Mr. Weasley was a fully qualified wizard who worked in the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office at the Ministry of Magic,**

Lucius looked at Arthur with loathing; Arthur returned the look with an icy stare.

**but he didn't have any particular expertise in the matter of curses, as far as Harry knew.**

"I don't Harry," Arthur said looking away from Malfoy Sr.

**In any case, Harry didn't like the idea of the whole Weasley family knowing that he, Harry, was getting jumpy about a few moments' pain.**

Hermione was shaking her head in exasperation.

"Harry," Molly chided gently. "We wouldn't think any less of you."

"We certainly wouldn't," Arthur said agreeing with his wife.

"I know," Harry sighed. "I just didn't want everyone to make a big fuss.

**Mrs. Weasley would fuss worse than Hermione,**

Harry avoided looking at the aforementioned two.

**and Fred and George, Ron's sixteen-year-old twin brothers, might think Harry was losing his nerve.**

Fred and George frowned looking uncharacteristically serious.

"You really think we'd think that?" George asked looking genuinely hurt.

"You're the bravest person I know," Fred said honestly.

Harry looked slightly embarrassed. "I just didn't know what you'd say."

"We would've tried to cheer you up," George said.

"We wouldn't have told you that you were weak or anything," Fred added.

Harry gave the twins a small smile.

**The Weasleys were Harry's favorite family in the world;**

The twins instantly perked up.

Molly and Arthur beamed at Harry.

"Of course we are," Charlie said puffing out his chest.

Bill smacked the back of his brother's head.

"Oi! What was that for?" Charlie demanded.

"He hadn't even met you yet, and he won't until right before the Quidditch World Cup," Bill said.

Charlie muttered something under his breath while those around them snickered.

Harry shook his head in amusement, he didn't know the two oldest Weasley sons very well but he did like them.

**he was hoping that they might invite him to stay any time now**

"If I had it my way you would've stayed all summer," Ron said seriously.

"Thanks Ron," Harry said sincerely.

"Why didn't you stay with the Weasley's all summer?" Dean questioned.

"Dumbledore said I had to go back to the Dursley's," Harry said with a shrug.

As one the hall turned to glare at the headmaster.

Dumbledore inwardly sighed. "As I said before, I have my reasons for Mr. Potter needing to return to his relatives every summer. If the book does not tell everyone why than I will do so once they are finished."

"It better be a damn good reason," Ron snarled under his breath.

**(Ron had mentioned something about the Quidditch World Cup), and he somehow didn't want his visit punctuated with anxious inquiries about his scar.**

"I'm your best friend," Ron said. "I'm supposed to worry about you."

**Harry kneaded his forehead with his knuckles. What he really wanted (and it felt almost shameful to admit it to himself) was someone like - someone like a** _**parent** _ **:**

More pitying looks were sent Harry's way.

"That's nothing to be ashamed of," Susan said frowning.

**an adult wizard whose advice he could ask without feeling stupid, someone who cared about him, who had had experience with Dark Magic…**

Sirius sat up straight and grinned.

**And then the solution came to him. It was so simple, and so obvious, that he couldn't believe it had taken so long -** _**Sirius** _ **.**

Sirius deflated. "I can't believe it took you so long."

"To be fair I had only known you for like two months," Harry said. "Before that I thought you were a mass murderer out to kill me."

"Fair enough," Sirius said.

**Harry leapt up from the bed, hurried across the room, and sat down at his desk; he pulled a piece of parchment toward him, loaded his eagle-feather quill with ink, wrote** _**Dear Sirius** _ **, then paused, wondering how best to phrase his problem, still marveling at the fact that he hadn't thought of Sirius straight away.**

Snape sneered; one would have to be an idiot to go to the mutt for advice.

**But then, perhaps it wasn't so surprising - after all, he had only found out that Sirius was his godfather two months ago.**

"I don't blame you for not thinking of him sooner," Hermione said. "I don't think I would've thought of him right away either."

A few people snorted at the look on Sirius' face.

**There was a simple reason for Sirius's complete absence from Harry's life until then - Sirius had been in Azkaban,**

Fudge shifted in his seat, everything regarding Sirius Black had been highly embarrassing.

Umbridge scowled, even if he was innocent of murder he still deserved to be in Azkaban, after all he did escape from prison and he was an illegal animagus.

**the terrifying wizard jail guarded by creatures called dementors,**

The hall shivered, it was as though everyone had been doused with ice water.

**sightless, soul-sucking fiends**

"Good description," Ron said with a grimace.

**who had come to search for Sirius at Hogwarts when he had escaped.**

**Yet Sirius had been innocent - the murders for which he had been convicted had been committed by Wormtail,**

The trio, Sirius and Remus glared at the book.

**Voldemort's supporter, whom nearly everybody now believed dead.**

"Not anymore," Sirius said looking like the cat that caught the canary.

**Harry, Ron, and Hermione knew otherwise, however; they had come face-to-face with Wormtail only the previous year, though only Professor Dumbledore had believed their story.**

_'He would believe their story.'_ Snape thought bitterly.

**For one glorious hour, Harry had believed that he was leaving the Dursleys at last, because Sirius had offered him a home once his name had been cleared.**

Sirius sighed and ran a hand over his face. "Sorry about that Harry, I really am."

"It's not your fault Sirius, don't apologize," Harry said, the only person he blamed for that was the traitor.

**But the chance had been snatched away from him - Wormtail had escaped before they could take him to the Ministry of Magic,**

"Filthy rat," Ron spat. He was still angry that he had been harboring a death eater who also happened to be the person to betray Harry's parents.

**and Sirius had had to flee for his life. Harry had helped him escape on the back of a hippogriff called Buckbeak, and since then, Sirius had been on the run.**

"When it's put like that it's really funny," Seamus said amusedly.

**The home Harry might have had if Wormtail had not escaped had been haunting him all summer.**

Harry ignoring the pitying looks instead he focused on his and Daphne's intertwined hands. He was completely oblivious to the fact that several girls were glaring at Daphne's waist where one of Harry's hands was resting.

**It had been doubly hard to return to the Dursleys knowing that he had so nearly escaped them forever.**

Sirius couldn't help but feel guilty; he had gotten Harry's hopes up. _'At least he'll be living with me from now on; I'll give him the home he should've had.'_

**Nevertheless, Sirius had been of some help to Harry, even if he couldn't be with him.**

"Really?" Several people asked curiously.

Harry smirked.

**It was due to Sirius that Harry now had all his school things in his bedroom with him.**

"You're welcome," Sirius said cheerfully even though he didn't know how he had done that.

**The Dursleys had never allowed this before; their general wish of keeping Harry as miserable as possible, coupled with their fear of his powers, had led them to lock his school trunk in the cupboard under the stairs every summer prior to this.**

Glares were sent towards the books.

Andromeda and Ted frowned, Dumbledore had told them that Harry's relatives were bad but they hadn't known they were that bad.

**But their attitude had changed since they had found out that Harry had a dangerous murderer for a godfather - for Harry had conveniently forgotten to tell them that Sirius was innocent.**

The hall broke into laughter.

Sirius high fived Harry.

"No wonder the sorting hat said you'd do well in Slytherin," Blaise said amusedly.

**Harry had received two letters from Sirius since he had been back at Privet Drive. Both had been delivered, not by owls (as was usual with wizards), but by large, brightly colored tropical birds.**

The occupants in the hall looked amused.

Snape on the other hand had to fight the urge to roll his eyes, leave it to Sirius Black to use a tropical bird instead of an owl.

"That sounds wicked!" Dennis exclaimed.

"You always did like to make a statement Padfoot," Remus said chuckling.

"You always were over the top," Andromeda said.

"You two know each other?" Dean asked looking between Sirius and Andromeda.

"She's my cousin," Sirius said. "Before she married Ted she was Andromeda Black."

Narcissa looked at her sister for the first time and then quickly looked away.

**Hedwig had not approved of these flashy intruders;**

Harry chuckled at the memory of the first time one of those flashy birds appeared.

**she had been most reluctant to allow them to drink from her water tray before flying off again.**

"That sounds like Hedwig," Hermione said amused.

"She does have an attitude," Ron said.

**Harry, on the other hand, had liked them;**

"Glad you did," Sirius said grinning. "I did as well."

**they put him in mind of palm trees and white sand, and he hoped that, wherever Sirius was (Sirius never said, in case the letters were intercepted),**

"Good," Moody said approvingly.

"Well what do you know?" Snape said with a patronizing look. "Black has a brain after all."

"Watch it Snape," Sirius growled.

**he was enjoying himself.**

"Oh I was," Sirius said; his anger at Snape instantly replaced by a wistful smile.

**Somehow, Harry found it hard to imaging dementors surviving for long in bright sunlight,**

"Can you imagine a dementor hanging out at the beach?" Fred asked amusedly.

The students laughed at the imagine of a dementor at the beach.

"I don't think they'd like that very much," Anthony said as his lips quirked up into a smile.

**perhaps that was why Sirius had gone South. Sirius's letters, which were now hidden beneath the highly useful loose floorboards under Harry's bed, sounded cheerful, and in both of them he had reminded Harry to call on him if ever Harry needed to. Well, he needed to right now, all right…**

"And I'm glad you did," Sirius said seriously. "I'll always be there when you need me."

"Thanks," Harry said grinning.

 **Harry's lamp seemed to grow dimmer as the cold gray light that precedes sunrise slowly crept into the room. Finally, when the sun had risen, when his bedroom walls had turned gold, and when sounds of movement could be heard from Uncle Vernon** **and Aunt Petunia's room, Harry cleared his desk of crumpled pieces of parchment and reread his finished letter.**

_**Dear Sirius,** _

_**Thanks for your last letter. That bird was enormous; it could hardly get through my window.** _

Remus shook his head fondly.

_**Things are the same as usual here. Dudley** _ **'** _**s diet isn** _ **'** _**t going too well.** _

The twins smirked evilly, remembering a certain incident with tongue ton toffees and a swollen tongue. They both hoped that incident would be in the book.

_**My aunt found him smuggling doughnuts into his room yesterday.** _

"He really shouldn't cheat on his diet," Anthony said. "It won't help in any."

_**They told him they** _ **'** _**d have to cut his pocket money if he keeps doing it, so he got really angry and chucked his Play Station out of the window.** _

"Well that was stupid," Justin said incredulously. "Those things are expensive, and now he won't have one."

_**That** _ **'** _**s a sort of computer thing you can play games on. Bit stupid really,** _

"Even Harry agrees with me," Justin said.

"No one said they didn't agree with you," Ernie told his best friend.

_**now he hasn** _ **'** _**t even got** _ **Mega-Mutilation Part Three** _**to take his mind off things.** _

"What a lovely name for a game," Tonks snorted.

_**I** _ **'** _**m okay, mainly because the Dursleys are terrified you might turn up and turn them all into bats if I ask you to.** _

The hall snickered.

"Just say the word and I will," Sirius said nonchalantly.

"Sirius!" Molly, McGonagall, Poppy, Sprout and Andromeda shouted.

Sirius grinned sheepishly which resulted in more snickering.

 _ **A weird thing happened this morning, though.**_ _**My scar hurt again.**_ _**Last time that happened it was because Voldemort was at Hogwarts.**_

"That worried me," Sirius admitted.

"Sorry-" Harry began but he was cut off.

"Don't apologize kiddo," Sirius said waving him off. "I'm your godfather it's my job to worry about you."

_**But I don** _ **'** _**t reckon he can be anywhere near me now, can he? Do you know if curse scars sometimes hurt years afterward?** _

"Seeing as your scar is one of a kind I don't think anyone will know," Hermione sighed.

_**I** _ **'** _**ll send this with Hedwig when she gets back; she** _ **'** _**s off hunting at the moment.** _

_**Say hello to Buckbeak for me.** _

_**Harry** _

"You didn't mention your dream," Sirius pointed out with a frown.

"I didn't want to worry you," Harry said.

Sirius sighed. "Like I said, it's my job to worry about you."

**Yes, thought Harry, that looked all right. There was no point putting in the dream;**

Sirius and Remus exchanged looks, they would need to talk with Harry before the books were over.

**he didn't want it to look as though he was too worried.**

Hermione and Ron exchanged exasperated looks.

**He folded up the parchment and laid it aside on his desk, ready for when Hedwig returned. Then he got to his feet, stretched, and opened his wardrobe once more. Without glancing at his reflection he started to get dressed before going down to breakfast.**

"That's the end of the chapter," Lily said closing the book. "Do you want to read next?" She asked the person sitting across from her.

Theo looked slightly hesitant but he reached forward to grab the book anyways. "Okay."


	4. The Invitation

**"The Invitation,"** Theo read out.

Harry and the Weasleys grinned.

**By the time Harry arrived in the kitchen, the three Dursleys were already seated around the table.**

"Great," Adrian Pucey said sarcastically to his friend. "We get to hear about the filthy muggles."

"I don't know how Potter puts up with them," Terence Higgs said. "I would've killed them long ago if I were him."

**None of them looked up as he entered or sat down.**

"Aren't they delightful," Lee said cheerfully.

Harry snorted. "Very."

**Uncle Vernon's large red face was hidden behind the morning's Daily Mail,**

"You mean there's actually something large enough to hide a part of him?" Fred asked incredulously.

"Barely," Harry said nonchalantly. "And only if the newspaper is completely opened."

A few people snickered while Molly sent them disapproving looks.

**and Aunt Petunia was cutting a grapefruit into quarters, her lips pursed over her horse-like teeth.**

Snape resisted the urge to cringe; she made that same face when they were children.

"I love you're descriptions when they aren't about me," Ron said chuckling.

**Dudley looked furious and sulky,**

"Oh look, it's the muggle version of Malfoy," Ron said smirking.

Draco turned red as the students snickered.

Narcissa narrowed her eyes at the red head.

Lucius sent Ron his best sneer. _'How dare the blood traitor compare my son to a filthy muggle.'_ His grip tightened on his cane, but he pushed down the urge to strangle the boy in a room full of witnesses.

**and somehow seemed to be taking up even more space than usual.**

"He grew out?" Lee asked wide eyed.

"Yes," Harry said looking revolted.

"I didn't think that was possible," Lee muttered.

**This was saying something, as he always took up an entire side of the square table by himself.**

Madam Pomfrey tutted and shook her head, that boy didn't sound the least bit healthy.

"That's disgusting," Lavender wrinkled her nose.

"How could anyone allow their child to get so large?" Andromeda said disapprovingly.

**When Aunt Petunia put a quarter of unsweetened grapefruit onto Dudley's plate with a tremulous "There you are, Diddy darling,"**

A few people snorted at the nickname.

"I don't know what's worse," Ron said; his eyes full of mirth. "Dinky Duddydums or Diddy darling."

"Definitely Dinky Duddydums." The twins said in unison.

**Dudley glowered at her.**

"Horrible child," Molly muttered. She was thankful that Harry turned out so nicely after having to live with those awful people.

**His life had taken a most unpleasant turn since he had come home for the summer with his end-of-year report.**

"Aw poor baby," Alicia said mockingly, she felt no sympathy for the boy after how he treated Harry.

"His summer can't be any worse than Harry's," Angelina said angrily.

**Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia had managed to find excuses for his bad marks as usual:**

The adults looked disapproving.

"That's no way to raise a child," McGonagall said reprovingly.

"He's going to have a bad shock when he enters the real world," Sprout sniffed.

**Aunt Petunia always insisted that Dudley was a very gifted boy whose teachers didn't understand him,**

Harry scoffed. "If he's gifted than I'm Voldemort's best friend."

A few people snorted.

**while Uncle Vernon maintained that "he didn't want some swotty little nancy boy for a son anyway."**

"What kind of parent doesn't want their own child to be smart?" Ted said frowning. "These people don't seem like very good people." He realized what he said and looked at Harry slightly startled. "I meant no disrespect."

Harry waved him off. "None taken at all Mr. Tonks, I completely agree with you."

**They also skated over the accusations of bullying in the report - "He's a boisterous little boy,**

"Little?" Fred repeated choking on his pumpkin juice.

"Compared to what?" George said incredulously as he patted his twin on the back. "A dragon?"

**but he wouldn't hurt a fly!" Aunt Petunia had said tearfully.**

Looks of disbelief were sent to the book.

Harry rolled his eyes, his aunt was truly delusional.

**However, at the bottom of the report there were a few well-chosen comments from the school nurse that not even Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia could explain away.**

"Hopefully the nurse has some sense and she told those parents to put their son on a diet," Pomfrey said frowning. "He doesn't sound healthy."

"He isn't," Harry said dryly.

"Is he really that bad?" Daphne asked.

"Oh yeah," Harry said.

**No matter how much Aunt Petunia wailed that Dudley was big-boned,**

Hagrid shook his head.

**and that his poundage was really puppy fat,**

Snorts were heard from all four house tables.

"Somehow I doubt that," Parvati said disdainfully.

**and that he was a growing boy who needed plenty of food,**

Pomfrey, Andromeda and Molly looked repulsed at the idea of letting a child get so large.

**the fact remained that the school outfitters didn't stock knickerbockers big enough for him anymore.**

The students began to snicker.

"That's disgusting," Lavender said.

**The school nurse had seen what Aunt Petunia's eyes - so sharp when it came to spotting fingerprints on her gleaming walls,**

"Clean freak," Ron muttered.

"She's way too clean," Tonks said recalling how clean the Dursley's house had been.

**and in observing the comings and goings of the neighbors –**

"Nosy," Justin said shaking his head.

**simply refused to see: that far from needing extra nourishment, Dudley had reached roughly the size and weight of a young killer whale.**

Almost everyone in the hall looked disgusted.

"He's worse than Crabbe and Goyle," Tracey muttered.

Lily heard her friends muttering and snickered.

**So - after many tantrums, after arguments that shook Harry's bedroom floor,**

"What is he five?" Ernie said incredulously.

"He sure seems to act like it," Justin said.

"I would never let my children behave that way," Molly said frowning. "They shouldn't let their son think that behaving that way is okay."

**and many tears from Aunt Petunia - the new regime had begun.**

A few people snorted at the way that sentence had been worded.

**The diet sheet that had been sent by the Smeltings school nurse had been taped to the fridge, which had been emptied of all Dudley's favorite things - fizzy drinks and cakes, chocolate bars**

"No chocolate?" George said with a sigh.

"That's horrible," Fred said looking miserable.

Harry snorted. "That's what Dudley thought."

The twins looked horrified at the comparison causing those around them to laugh.

**and burgers and filled instead with fruit and vegetables and the sorts of things that Uncle Vernon called "rabbit food."**

"Honestly," Hermione said rolling her eyes. "It's much better for him to eat 'rabbit food' than all of the junk he was previously consuming."

"He doesn't care if something's good for him or not," Harry said, "as long as it tastes good."

**To make Dudley feel better about it all, Aunt Petunia had insisted that the whole family follow the diet too.**

"What?" Molly and Pomfrey exclaimed.

"You are far too thin," Molly said frowning. "The last thing you need to be on is a diet."

"You should be eating balanced meals Mr. Potter," Pomfrey said going into mother hen mode.

Harry sighed, it's not like he could control what his relatives fed him.

"When you come live with me you'll be able to eat all you want," Sirius said trying to keep calm; he wanted to throttle the Dursley's.

**She now passed a grapefruit quarter to Harry. He noticed that it was a lot smaller than Dudley's.**

"Of course it was," Daphne said dryly as she glared at the book.

Harry squeezed his girlfriend's waist. "I was fine, my friends sent me stuff," he whispered in her ear; that made Daphne feel a little bit better but not much.

**Aunt Petunia seemed to feel that the best way to keep up Dudley's morale was to make sure that he did, at least, get more to eat than Harry.**

Eyes were narrowed at the book.

"That wretched woman," Lavender muttered angrily.

"Stupid horse," Seamus said under his breath.

**But Aunt Petunia didn't know what was hidden under the loose floorboard upstairs.**

A few curious looks were sent towards Harry.

**She had no idea that Harry was not following the diet at all.**

The twins beamed at Harry proudly.

"Our little Harrikins is all grown up," George said grinning.

"I'm so proud," Fred said pretending to wipe a tear away.

**The moment he had got wind of the fact that he was expected to survive the summer on carrot sticks, Harry had sent Hedwig to his friends with pleas for help,**

"Good idea." Several people said.

"That was smart," Tonks said approvingly.

**and they had risen to the occasion magnificently.**

Harry smiled at his best friends.

**Hedwig had returned from Hermione's house with a large box stuffed full of sugar-free snacks, (Hermione's parents were dentists.)**

"They still tasted good," Harry said as a few people made faces at the fact that they were sugar-free. "Thanks again Hermione."

"Of course Harry," Hermione said smiling.

**Hagrid, the Hogwarts gamekeeper, had obliged with a sack full of his own homemade rock cakes,**

Those who had eaten Hagrid's cooking made faces.

"Thanks Hagrid," Harry said to the half giant.

"Don't mention it," Hagrid said waving his large hand.

**(Harry hadn't touched these; he had had too much experience of Hagrid's cooking.)**

A few people snorted, they wouldn't have eaten them either.

**Mrs. Weasley, however, had sent the family owl, Errol, with an enormous fruitcake and assorted meat pies.**

"Thank you Mrs. Weasley," Harry said.

"Anything for you Harry dear," Molly said kindly.

Sirius felt a pang of guilt that he hadn't been able to give Harry any food but he was glad that Harry had such good friends.

**Poor Errol, who was elderly and feeble, had needed a full five days to recover from the journey.**

"Oh is that where he was?" Ron asked. "I thought he had just gotten lost."

"Does he get lost often?" Dennis asked.

"Yes." All of the Weasley children said.

Arthur and Molly both sighed; they really needed a new owl they just couldn't afford one.

Harry looked at the two Weasleys and could tell by their expressions what they were thinking. _'Maybe I should get them an owl for Christmas.'_

**And then on Harry's birthday (which the Dursleys had completely ignored)**

The hall looked annoyed but after reading about them in the first three books no one was surprised.

Harry's friends all silently vowed to do something special for his next birthday.

**he had received four superb birthday cakes, one each from Ron, Hermione, Hagrid, and Sirius.**

Harry grinned at the four aforementioned people.

"Where did you get a cake?" A bewildered Neville asked Sirius.

"From a small muggle shop in Italy," Sirius said with a shrug. "My photo was only on the muggle news in Great Britain."

**Harry still had two of them left, and so, looking forward to a real breakfast when he got back upstairs,**

"Cake isn't a proper breakfast," Molly said with a disapproving frown.

"It's better than him eating nothing mum," Ron said slightly annoyed.

**he ate his grapefruit without complaint.**

"That must've annoyed the Dursleys', you eating just a small piece of grapefruit without complaint," Lee said smirking.

Harry looked amused. "Oh, it did."

**Uncle Vernon laid aside his paper with a deep sniff of disapproval and looked down at his own grapefruit quarter.**

" **Is this it?" he said grumpily to Aunt Petunia.**

"Fat cow," Seamus muttered under his breath.

**Aunt Petunia gave him a severe look, and then nodded pointedly at Dudley, who had already finished his own grapefruit quarter and was eyeing Harry's with a very sour look in his piggy little eyes.**

"Pig," Dean muttered.

"He'd better not touch your food," Sirius growled.

"Don't worry he didn't," Harry assured his godfather.

**Uncle Vernon gave a great sigh, which ruffled his large, bushy mustache, and picked up his spoon.**

**The doorbell rang.**

Harry's lips began to twitch as he recalled just what had happened that morning.

**Uncle Vernon heaved himself out of his chair and set off down the hall.**

"I'm surprised he didn't make you get it," Anthony said sounding genuinely surprised.

"He thought I had a murderer for a godfather remember?" Harry reminded him.

"Oh right," Anthony said.

**Quick as a flash, while his mother was occupied with the kettle, Dudley stole the rest of Uncle Vernon's grapefruit.**

"What a brat," Angelina said looking annoyed.

"He really is horrid," Alicia said. "I'm glad Harry didn't turn out like him."

"Me too," Katie agreed.

**Harry heard talking at the door, and someone laughing, and Uncle Vernon answering curtly.**

Harry was now smiling, his eyes shining with amusement.

"What's so funny?" Daphne asked raising a delicate eyebrow.

"I would tell you but I don't want to ruin it for everyone else," Harry said.

**Then the front door closed, and the sound of ripping paper came from the hall.**

**Aunt Petunia set the teapot down on the table and looked curiously around to see where Uncle Vernon had got to.**

"Curious?" Stewart snorted. "Nosy is more accurate."

**She didn't have to wait long to find out; after about a minute, he was back. He looked livid.**

"What did you do?" Seamus asked Harry.

Harry raised both his eyebrows. "Excuse me?"

"Well whenever he gets mad it usually involves something you did, or at least something he thinks you did," Seamus said.

"It actually wasn't me this time," Harry said. "Well not directly me anyways."

" **You," he barked at Harry. "In the living room. Now."**

"His name's Harry," Daphne said looking agitated.

**Bewildered, wondering what on earth he was supposed to have done this time,**

"I'm used to getting blamed for everything so I don't know why I was surprised," Harry said with a careless shrug.

**Harry got up and followed Uncle Vernon out of the kitchen and into the next room. Uncle Vernon closed the door sharply behind both of them.**

" **So," he said, marching over to the fireplace and turning to face Harry as though he were about to pronounce him under arrest.**

A few people snickered.

" _ **So.**_ **"**

"Don't get cheeky Harry," Hermione said, she was worried about what Vernon would do if Harry got a smart mouth.

"Don't worry Hermione, nothing happened," Harry said.

**Harry would have dearly loved to have said, "So what?"**

"That would've been funny." The twins said in unison.

"I think that would've only made him madder," Hannah pointed out.

"That doesn't mean it wouldn't be funny," George said.

Molly glared at her twin sons. "Don't encourage Harry to talk back."

**but he didn't feel that Uncle Vernon's temper should be tested this early in the morning,**

"Smart," Dean said.

**especially when it was already under severe strain from lack of food. He therefore settled for looking politely puzzled.**

A few people snorted, from what they've read Harry's horrible at faking innocence.

"Somehow mate I don't think you would've actually looked politely puzzled," Ron said though his snickers.

"Probably not," Harry admitted.

" **This just arrived," said Uncle Vernon. He brandished a piece of purple writing paper at Harry. "A letter. About you."**

"Who would send a letter about you through the muggle post?" Lisa asked curiously.

Molly slowly turned red.

**Harry's confusion increased. Who would be writing to Uncle Vernon about him? Who did he know who sent letters by the postman?**

"It could've been Hermione," Justin guessed.

Susan shook her head. "Hermione would know better than to send anything to Harry's relatives' house."

Molly turned even redder.

**Uncle Vernon glared at Harry, then looked down at the letter and began to read aloud:**

_**Dear Mr. and Mrs. Dursley,** _

_**We have never been introduced, but I am sure you have heard a great deal from Harry about my son Ron.** _

"You sent them a letter?" Bill asked his mother.

"Yes," Molly sighed. "I was trying to be polite.

"You really though that Harry would've told his family about Ron?" Charlie asked incredulously.

"I didn't know that his relatives were so horrible," Molly said, she could feel herself burning up. "I knew that they weren't the nicest people but I didn't know how bad it was."

_**As Harry might have told you, the final of the Quidditch World Cup takes place this Monday night,** _

Those who loved quidditch perked up.

_**and my husband, Arthur, has just managed to get prime tickets through his connections at the Department of Magical Games and Sports.** _

"They were brilliant seats," Ron said smiling.

Draco glared at the Weasleys; he hated how he had to share a box with them.

Lucius looked disdainfully at Arthur, he was surprised that people like Arthur Weasley had connections anywhere other than second hand shops.

_**I do hope you will allow us to take Harry to the match, as this really is a once-in-a lifetime opportunity;** _

"Normally they wouldn't have cared if it was a one in ten-billion lifetimes' opportunity," Harry said.

"But you went didn't you?" Colin asked frowning.

"Yes," Harry said. "But the book should say."

_**Britain hasn** _ **'** _**t hosted the cup for thirty years, and tickets are extremely hard to come by.** _

"They are." Those whose parents hadn't been able to get tickets but wanted them said.

"You have to get them really far in advanced," Michael said.

"And the better the seats the more the tickets cost," Kevin added.

_**We would of course be glad to have Harry stay for the remainder of the summer holidays,** _

"And I'd be happy to stay with you," Harry said as he smiled at his favorite family.

_**and to see him safely onto the train back to school.** _

Harry internally snorted; the Dursley's wouldn't care whether or not he was safe.

_**It would be best for Harry to send us your answer as quickly as possible in the normal way, because the Muggle postman has never delivered to our house, and I am not sure he even knows where it is.** _

_'I would love to see the look on a muggle post man's face if he saw the Burrow.'_ Harry thought amusedly.

_**Hoping to see Harry soon,** _

_**Yours sincerely,** _

_**Molly Weasley** _

_**P.S. I do hope we** _ **'** _**ve put enough stamps on.** _

The muggleborns raised their eyebrows.

"How many did she put on?" A muggleborn sixth year asked.

Harry didn't answer.

**Uncle Vernon finished reading, put his hand back into his breast pocket, and drew out something else.**

" **Look at this," he growled.**

"What now?" Laura Madley asked exasperated.

**He held up the envelope in which Mrs. Weasley's letter had come, and Harry had to fight down a laugh.**

"What's wrong?" Justin asked.

Harry had to stop himself from laughing.

Molly frowned, had she done something wrong?

**Every bit of it was covered in stamps except for a square inch on the front, into which Mrs. Weasley had squeezed the Dursleys' address in minute writing.**

The muggleborns and half-bloods burst into laughter.

"What's wrong with that?" Molly asked confusedly.

"You're only supposed to put on one stamp," Hermione said as she fought the urge to laugh.

"Oh," Molly said flushing.

"It's a mistake any pureblood could make I'm sure," Hermione said consolingly.

" **She did put enough stamps on, then," said Harry, trying to sound as though Mrs. Weasley's was a mistake anyone could make.**

"I was trying to keep a straight face but it was really hard not to laugh at the look on his face," Harry said with a smirk.

**His uncle's eyes flashed.**

"He's such a drama queen," Orla said rolling her eyes.

" **The postman noticed," he said through gritted teeth.**

"I'm sure he did," Justin said looking extremely amused. "He's probably never seen so many stamps on one envelope before."

**"Very interested to know where this letter came from, he was. That's why he rang the doorbell. Seemed to think it was funny."**

"Oh, it is," Fred said grinning.

"Very much so," George said shaking his head enthusiastically.

**Harry didn't say anything. Other people might not understand why Uncle Vernon was making a fuss about too many stamps,**

"He shouldn't be it's not a big deal," Colin said.

"To him it is," Harry said with a shrug. "He doesn't like anything that's not normal."

**but Harry had lived with the Dursleys too long not to know how touchy they were about anything even slightly out of the ordinary.**

The twins and Lee looked scandalized.

**Their worst fear was that someone would find out that they were connected (however distantly) with people like Mrs. Weasley.**

"There's nothing wrong with being a wizard." Several people said annoyed.

"There's nothing wrong with mum." The Weasley twins said indignantly.

"If that's their worst fear than they're even more pathetic than I thought," Patricia said rolling her eyes.

**Uncle Vernon was still glaring at Harry, who tried to keep his expression neutral.**

"It was extremely difficult," Harry said.

**If he didn't do or say anything stupid,**

Draco wanted to say something scathing but he knew his mother wouldn't approve so he stayed silent.

**he might just be in for the treat of a lifetime.**

Harry grinned; it really had been amazing, well it had been up until the end.

**He waited for Uncle Vernon to say something, but he merely continued to glare. Harry decided to break the silence.**

"Gryffindor," Vaisey said under his breath.

" **So - can I go then?" he asked.**

**A slight spasm crossed Uncle Vernon's large purple face.**

Several students rolled their eyes.

**The mustache bristled. Harry thought he knew what was going on behind the mustache:**

A few people snickered at the wording.

**a furious battle as two of Uncle Vernon's most fundamental instincts came into conflict.**

"He has enough brain power for an internal conflict?" Lee asked seriously.

A few people snickered.

"Surprisingly," Harry said.

The adults looked torn, on one hand they wanted to scold the students for speaking that way about an adult, but on the other hand they had treated Harry horrible.

**Allowing Harry to go would make Harry happy, something Uncle Vernon had struggled against for thirteen years.**

Harry's friends glared at the book.

"Bloody git," Ron muttered.

Daphne squeezed Harry's knee in a gesture of support; a smile flickered on his lips for a brief second.

**On the other hand, allowing Harry to disappear to the Weasleys' for the rest of the summer would get rid of him two weeks earlier than anyone could have hoped,**

"Vernon would probably like that," Justin said.

**and Uncle Vernon hated having Harry in the house.**

"That really is a dilemma," George said looking thoughtful.

"What to do, what to do," Fred said tapping his chin.

**To give himself thinking time, it seemed, he looked down at Mrs. Weasley's letter again.**

"With how small his brain is I'm sure he could use all the thinking time he could get," Ron muttered.

" **Who is this woman?" he said, staring at the signature with distaste.**

The Weasley children narrowed their eyes at the book.

" **You've seen her," said Harry. "She's my friend Ron's mother, she was meeting him off the Hog - off the school train at the end of last term."**

**He had almost said "Hogwarts Express," and that was a sure way to get his uncle's temper up. Nobody ever mentioned the name of Harry's school aloud in the Dursley household.**

More eyes were rolled, those muggles really were ridiculous.

**Uncle Vernon screwed up his enormous face as though trying to remember something very unpleasant.**

"You're unpleasant," Ron mumbled.

" **Dumpy sort of woman?" he growled finally.**

Molly flushed while Arthur put his arm around her and glared at the book.

"Oi!" The Weasley children exclaimed.

Harry and Hermione glared at the book; there was nothing wrong with Mrs. Weasley.

"Don't talk about my mother you fat cow!" Ron yelled at the book.

"What right does that whale have to call anyone dumpy?" Charlie asked angrily.

"Bloody cow," Ginny muttered furiously.

"Stupid B-" Bill began.

"That's enough," Arthur said firmly.

"But he-" Ron began, his neck, face and ears red.

"He's an angry person Ron," Arthur said with a sigh. "Don't let it get to you." He pulled Molly closer to him.

While this was going on Lucius was smirking, he may hate muggles but he agreed with the description of the Weasley matriarch.

**"Load of children with red hair?"**

The Weasley children's glares intensified.

**Harry frowned.**

"I wanted to hex him," Harry said nonchalantly.

Molly gave Harry a small smile.

**He thought it was a bit rich of Uncle Vernon to call anyone "dumpy,"**

"It is." Angelina, Alicia and Katie said.

**when his own son, Dudley, had finally achieved what he'd been threatening to do since the age of three, and become wider than he was tall.**

The students looked disgusted.

"That's an over exaggeration right?" Neville asked almost hesitantly.

"No." Harry, Ron and the twins said.

"Disgusting," Lavender said wrinkling her nose.

**Uncle Vernon was perusing the letter again.**

" **Quidditch," he muttered under his breath. "** _ **Quidditch**_ **\- what is this rubbish?"**

Oliver looked scandalized.

Noticing Oliver's look Harry had to hold back a laugh. "He's a muggle Oliver."

**Harry felt a second stab of annoyance.**

"I don't blame you." The twins said solemnly.

"Not knowing what quidditch is," Lee said shaking his head sadly.

" **It's a sport," he said shortly. "Played on broom- "**

"He's not going to like that." The twins sing songed.

" **All right, all right!" said Uncle Vernon loudly. Harry saw, with some satisfaction, that his uncle looked vaguely panicky.**

A few people snickered, the man was utterly ridiculous.

**Apparently his nerves couldn't stand the sound of the word "broomsticks" in his living room.**

"What an idiot," Justin muttered.

**He took refuge in perusing the letter again. Harry saw his lips form the words "send us your answer…in the normal way."**

A few people imagined him doing so and promptly broke into snickers.

"He did look amusing," Harry said.

**He scowled.**

" **What does she mean, 'the normal way'?" he spat.**

"Oh for the love of Merlin just give him permission to go already," Sirius snapped, he was sick of hearing about Harry's relatives.

" **Normal for us," said Harry, and before his uncle could stop him, he added, "you know, owl post. That's what's normal for wizards."**

**Uncle Vernon looked as outraged as if Harry had just uttered a disgusting swear word.**

"Oh for Salazar's sake," Tracey muttered.

"He really is ridiculous," Dean said shaking his head.

 _'I don't know how Harry dealt with those people for fifteen years.'_ Seamus thought.

**Shaking with anger, he shot a nervous look through the window, as though expecting to see some of the neighbors with their ears pressed against the glass.**

"Oh yes," Hermione said. "Because there's an army of wizards following you."

" **How many times do I have to tell you not to mention that unnaturalness under my roof?"**

"Unnaturalness?" Many of the pure-bloods said angrily.

Lucius scowled, muggles are the unnatural ones not witches and wizards. He hadn't believed Dumbledore at first when he said that the boy's relatives weren't loving and supporting but there was no denying the truth to his words now.

Narcissa frowned; Harry really didn't seem at all like Draco told her he was.

Andromeda was also frowning, she didn't know the boy but she did know that no child deserved to be treated the way his relatives were treating him. She had known James and Lily and had seen Harry a few times when he was baby before they had gone into hiding; he had been such a sweet little thing.

**he hissed, his face now a rich plum color. "You stand there, in the clothes Petunia and I have put on your ungrateful back - "**

The students were beginning to get angry.

"They're hand me downs," Hermione said through gritted teeth. "You didn't have to spend any money on them."

"You're wearing nice clothes right now," Daphne said looking at Harry's dark jeans and green long sleeved t-shirt.

"I used my money to owl order some clothes," Harry said. "But I can't wear them at the Dursley's."

" **Only after Dudley finished with them," said Harry coldly,**

Sirius' eyes were narrowed at the book and his hand was itching towards his wand.

**and indeed, he was dressed in a sweatshirt so large for him that he had had to roll back the sleeves five times so as to be able to use his hands, and which fell past the knees of his extremely baggy jeans.**

Sirius growled sounding very much like Padfoot.

Daphne's blue eyes looked like ice as she glared at the book.

" **I will not be spoken to like that!" said Uncle Vernon, trembling with rage.**

"You don't deserve for Harry to treat you with respect," Ron growled.

**But Harry wasn't going to stand for this.**

"Good boy," Moody said approvingly.

"Good for you mate," Dean said.

**Gone were the days when he had been forced to take every single one of the Dursleys' stupid rules.**

"Unleash your wild side," George said grinning.

"Hex him!" Fred yelled.

"Fred!" "Mr. Weasley!"

Fred ignored the stern looks of his mother and head of house.

**He wasn't following Dudley's diet,**

"Good," Pomfrey said, Harry needed to eat more not less.

**and he wasn't going to let Uncle Vernon stop him from going to the Quidditch World Cup, not if he could help it.**

Ron grinned at his best friend.

**Harry took a deep, steadying breath and then said, "Okay, I can't see the World Cup. Can I go now, then? Only I've got a letter to Sirius I want to finish. You know - my godfather."**

Sirius grinned widely. "Oh, I see what you're going to do."

"You really would've done well in Slytherin," Blaise said smirking.

Lucius who had been drinking tea choked. "What is Mr. Zabini talking about?" He asked Severus quietly.

"Potter was almost sorted into Slytherin," Snape said quietly with a sneer. "But he talked the sorting hat out of it after an encounter with Draco."

Lucius looked shocked for less than a second before he hid his shock behind a perfect mask of indifference and calm. _'The old fool had neglected to mention that little detail.'_

Narcissa who had overheard the exchange frowned.

**He had done it, he had said the magic words.**

Sirius' grin widened.

"Genius." The twins said in perfect unison.

"Brilliant!" Dean exclaimed.

**Now he watched the purple recede blotchily from Uncle Vernon's face, making it look like badly mixed black currant ice cream.**

A few girls wrinkled their noses.

" **You're - you're writing to him, are you?" said Uncle Vernon, in a would-be calm voice - but Harry had seen the pupils of his tiny eyes contract with sudden fear.**

Sirius' grin turned into a smirk.

" **Well - yeah," said Harry, casually.**

"Very clever," Lee said approvingly.

**"It's been a while since he heard from me, and, you know, if he doesn't he might start thinking something's wrong."**

Sirius leaned over to high five Harry.

**He stopped there to enjoy the effect of these words.**

"We're so proud." The twins said with proud grins.

**He could almost see the cogs working under Uncle Vernon's thick, dark, neatly parted hair.**

"I'm sure the cogs were a bit rusty after years of not being used," Lee said in a voice one would use to discuss the weather.

**If he tried to stop Harry writing to Sirius, Sirius would think Harry was being mistreated.**

"Damn right I would," Sirius said fiercely. "And I would've gone to Private Drive and stuck-"

"Sirius!" Molly, Andromeda and McGonagall all yelled.

Sirius winked at his godson and Harry snorted.

**If he told Harry he couldn't go to the Quidditch World Cup, Harry would write and tell Sirius, who would** _**know** _ **Harry was being mistreated.**

"Win-win situation," Terry said laughing.

"Glad I could help," Sirius said pompously.

**There was only one thing for Uncle Vernon to do. Harry could see the conclusion forming in his uncle's mind as though the great mustached face were transparent.**

"He's extremely easy to read," Harry said.

**Harry tried not to smile, to keep his own face as blank as possible. And then –**

" **Well, all right then. You can go to this ruddy…this stupid…this World Cup thing.**

"Quidditch isn't stupid," Oliver said indignantly.

**You write and tell these - these** _**Weasleys** _ **they're to pick you up, mind.**

Harry, Ron and the twins exchanged smirks.

Those who saw the small exchange were curious but knew that if they asked no one would answer so decided just to wait.

**I haven't got time to go dropping you off all over the country. And you can spend the rest of the summer there.**

"Excellent," Cadwallader said grinning.

**And you can tell your - your godfather…tell him…tell him you're going."**

"I was extremely jealous when I found out," Sirius admitted.

"You can go to the next one Padfoot," Remus told his best friend.

"I can, can't I?" Sirius said grinning.

"And you can take your favorite godson," Harry said grinning.

"And your favorite godsons best friend," Ron said slyly.

"And your protégé's!" The twins said excitedly.

"Of course, of course," Sirius said smiling at the thought, in that moment he looked young again.

" **Okay then," said Harry brightly.**

**He turned and walked toward the living room door, fighting the urge to jump into the air and whoop. He was going…he was going to the Weasleys',**

"I'm always happy to go to the Burrow," Harry said.

Molly and Arthur smiled, glad that Harry enjoyed their home so much.

**he was going to watch the Quidditch World Cup!**

"That means we'll get to hear about the World Cup," a second year Hufflepuff said excitedly.

**Outside in the hall he nearly ran into Dudley, who had been lurking behind the door, clearly hoping to overhear Harry being told off.**

"Horrid boy," Hermione said under her breath.

**He looked shocked to see the broad grin on Harry's face.**

"His face was hilarious," Harry said.

" **That was an** _ **excellent**_ **breakfast, wasn't it?" said Harry. "I feel really full, don't you?"**

The hall burst into laughter.

"That was cruel!" Fred said clutching his side.

"But so very funny," George said clutching onto the table for support.

**Laughing at the astonished look on Dudley's face, Harry took the stairs three at a time, and hurled himself back into his bedroom.**

**The first thing he saw was that Hedwig was back.**

Harry smiled at the mention of his owl.

**She was sitting in her cage, staring at Harry with her enormous amber eyes, and clicking her beak in the way that meant she was annoyed about something. Exactly what was annoying her became apparent almost at once.**

" **OUCH!" said Harry as what appeared to be a small, gray, feathery tennis ball collided with the side of his head.**

A few people snickered.

"Your owl is a menace mate," Dean said to Ron.

"I know," Ron shrugged.

**Harry massaged the spot furiously, looking up to see what had hit him, and saw a minute owl, small enough to fit into the palm of his hand, whizzing excitedly around the room like a loose firework.**

Sirius looked sheepish.

**Harry then realized that the owl had dropped a letter at his feet. Harry bent down, recognized Ron's handwriting, then tore open the envelope. Inside was a hastily scribbled** **note.**

_**Harry - DAD GOT THE TICKETS - Ireland versus Bulgaria,** _

Many of the occupants in the hall glanced at Viktor.

Viktor was staring stonily at the book; clearly the loss of the match still bothered him.

_**Monday night. Mum** _ **'** _**s writing to the Muggles to ask you to stay. They might already have the letter, I don** _ **'** _**t know how fast Muggle post is. Thought I** _ **'** _**d send this with Pig anyway.** _

"Pig?" Hannah said incredulously.

A few people snickered as Ron tinged pink.

Ginny glared at the people who were snickering, she though the name was sweet.

**Harry stared at the word "Pig," then looked up at the tiny owl now zooming around the light fixture on the ceiling.**

"He doesn't look like a pig," Daphne said amusedly.

Ginny switched her glare to Harry's girlfriend.

**He had never seen anything that looked less like a pig.**

"Dudley looks more like a pig than Ron's owl," Harry said.

**Maybe he couldn't read Ron's writing. He went back to the letter:**

_**We** _ **'** _**re coming for you whether the Muggles like it or not,** _

A few people snickered while Ron just shrugged.

_**you can** _ **'** _**t miss the World Cup,** _

"Ron's right," Dean said.

_**only Mum and Dad reckon it** _ **'** _**s better if we pretend to ask their permission first.** _

The hall broke into snickers.

"Good idea," Tonks chortled.

_**If they say yes, send Pig back with your answer pronto, and we** _ **'** _**ll come and get you at five o** _ **'** _**clock on Sunday. If they say no, send Pig back pronto and we** _ **'** _**ll come and get you at five o** _ **'** _**clock on Sunday anyway.** _

More snickers were heard.

_**Hermione** _ **'** _**s arriving this afternoon. Percy** _ **'** _**s started work** _

The twins, Ron and Ginny groaned causing Percy to blush.

_**\- the Department of International Magical Cooperation. Don** _ **'** _**t mention anything about Abroad while you** _ **'** _**re here unless you want the pants bored off you.** _

A few people snorted, none of them wanted to hear Percy talk about work.

_**See you soon – Ron** _

" **Calm down!" Harry said as the small owl flew low over his head, twittering madly with what Harry could only assume was pride at having delivered the letter to the right person.**

"That owl's mental," Ernie said incredulously.

"He's a little on the hyper side," Ron admitted.

" **Come here, I need you to take my answer back!"**

**The owl fluttered down on top of Hedwig's cage. Hedwig looked coldly up at it, as though daring it to try and come any closer.**

Harry laughed; he loved his owl's personality.

**Harry seized his eagle-feather quill once more, grabbed a fresh piece of parchment, and wrote:**

_**Ron, it** _ **'** _**s all okay, the Muggles say I can come. See you five o** _ **'** _**clock tomorrow.** _

"Imagine the looks on the muggles faces if they had said no," George said amusedly.

A few people laughed as they pictured their shocked faces.

_**Can** _ **'** _**t wait.** _

_**Harry** _

**He folded this note up very small, and with immense difficulty, tied it to the tiny owl's leg as it hopped on the spot with excitement.**

Remus shot Sirius an amused look, only Padfoot would give an overly hyperactive owl to someone.

**The moment the note was secure, the owl was off again; it zoomed out of the window and out of sight.**

Ron shook his head fondly, his owl was mental but he liked him just the same. Pig was a much better pet than the traitorous rat ever was.

**Harry turned to Hedwig.**

" **Feeling up to a long journey?" he asked her.**

**Hedwig hooted in a dignified sort of a way.**

"She's always up for delivering letters," Harry said proudly.

"She seems like a great owl," Daphne said.

Harry smiled, "She is."

" **Can you take this to Sirius for me?" he said, picking up his letter. "Hang on…I just want to finish it."**

**He unfolded the parchment and hastily added a postscript.**

_**If you want to contact me, I** _ **'** _**ll be at my friend Ron Weasley** _ **'** _**s for the rest of the summer. His dad** _ **'** _**s got us tickets for the Quidditch World Cup!** _

**The letter finished, he tied it to Hedwig's leg; she kept unusually still,**

Harry looked amused at his owl's personality.

**as though determined to show him how a real post owl should behave.**

The students chuckled.

"Weird personality," Natalie murmured.

" **I'll be at Ron's when you get back, all right?" Harry told her.**

**She nipped his finger affectionately,**

"She's so sweet," Romilda cooed.

**then, with a soft swooshing noise, spread her enormous wings and soared out of the open window. Harry watched her out of sight, then crawled under his bed, wrenched up the loose floorboard, and pulled out a large chunk of birthday cake.**

Pomfrey frowned; cake really wasn't good to eat for breakfast.

**He sat there on the floor eating it, savoring the happiness that was flooding through him.**

"I still want to know how you ate nothing but cake for two weeks and gained absolutely no weight," Hermione said.

"I don't gain weight," Harry shrugged. "At Hogwarts I eat a lot and I still don't gain any."

"Lucky," Parvati whispered to Lavender.

**He had cake, and Dudley had nothing but grapefruit;**

A few people smirked.

"Serves the fat git right," Seamus whispered to Dean.

**it was a bright summer's day, he would be leaving Privet Drive tomorrow,**

"That would make anyone happy," Ron said with a glare towards the book as if it was one of the Dursley's.

**his scar felt perfectly normal again, and he was going to watch the Quidditch World Cup.**

"That would definitely make anyone happy," Oliver said excitedly.

**It was hard, just now, to feel worried about anything - even Lord Voldemort.**

Harry sighed. _'I totally jinxed myself thinking that.'_

"I'm done," Theo said as he quickly shut the book.

"I'll read next," Millicent said holding out her hand.

Theo pushed the books towards the girl across from him who quickly opened to the correct page.


	5. Back to the Burrow

**"Back to the Burrow,"** Millicent read.

Harry, Ron and the twins exchanged smirks.

**By twelve o'clock the next day, Harry's school trunk was packed with his school things and all his most prized possessions - the Invisibility Cloak he had inherited from his father,**

A few of the adults glared at Dumbledore. They still couldn't understand what made Dumbledore think it was a good idea to give an invisibility cloak to a child.

"Good," Fred said giving his approval.

"You can't forget that," George said grinning.

**the broomstick he had gotten from Sirius,**

Harry smiled at the mention of his broomstick; he really wanted to go flying. His smile faded slightly when he remembered that at the moment his broom was in the dungeons courtesy of Umbridge.

"You definitely can't forget your broom," Fred said seriously.

**the enchanted map of Hogwarts he had been given by Fred and George Weasley last year.**

Fred and George high fived while looking immensely proud of themselves.

"That thing's dead useful," Ron said.

**He had emptied his hiding place under the loose floorboard of all food,**

"You can't forget the food," Ron said.

Ginny rolled her eyes.

**double-checked every nook and cranny of his bedroom for forgotten spell books or quills,**

"That's good," Tonks said nodding her head and causing her now bubblegum pink hair to go everywhere. "You don't want to forget anything."

**and taken down the chart on the wall counting down the days to September the first, on which he liked to cross off the days remaining until his return to Hogwarts.**

"I used to do that," Sirius said. "But it was more like a count down until the day I got to leave my awful parents."

Andromeda sent her cousin a pitying look; she knew how bad it had been for him there.

**The atmosphere inside number four, Privet Drive was extremely tense.**

"I can imagine," Justin said. "They probably didn't like the idea that wizards would be coming to their house."

Harry snorted. "More like they hated the fact that wizards were coming over."

**The imminent arrival at their house of an assortment of wizards was making the Dursleys uptight and irritable.**

"More so than usual?" Dean asked.

"Unfortunately," Harry said.

Daphne gave Harry a quick kiss on the lips; she could tell reading about his relatives was stressing him out.

Ginny made an annoyed noise in the back of her throat which only Hermione noticed.

Hermione frowned. _'Ginny isn't angry about Harry and Daphne is she? She's dating Michael I thought...'_

**Uncle Vernon had looked downright alarmed when Harry informed him that the Weasleys would be arriving at five o'clock the very next day.**

The twins were looking very eager something their friends noticed. Angelina, Alicia and Katie were eying the twins hesitantly.

"What do you think they did?" Katie whispered.

"Knowing them nothing good," Angelina said in a resigned voice.

" **I hope you told them to dress properly, these people," he snarled at once.**

"Dress properly?" Millicent demanded.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Theo asked as his brown eyes narrowed at the book.

"He doesn't think wizards dress normal just because we wear things that muggles don't like cloaks," Harry explained absentmindedly.

**"I've seen the sort of stuff your lot wear.**

The pure-bloods looked angry.

"Your lot?" Montague hissed.

"Filthy muggles," Draco muttered.

**They'd better have the decency to put on normal clothes, that's all."**

The wizard raised students glared at the book.

"We do wear normal clothes," Theo said looking annoyed.

"To us they're normal, but to muggles they'd be considered odd," Tracey said.

**Harry felt a slight sense of foreboding.**

"If the twins are coming than the feeling is most likely correct," Angelina said dryly. She loved the twins but they were never ones to pass up an opportunity for pranking.

"Us?" The twins asked looking insulted.

"We wouldn't do anything," Fred said innocently.

Now everyone knew the twins were going to do something. Some of the students were watching the twins warily while others leaned forward in anticipation.

Molly narrowed her eyes at Fred and George. She already knew about the ton tongue toffees, but she had a feeling that something else had happened.

**He had rarely seen Mr. or Mrs. Weasley wearing anything that the Dursleys would call "normal."**

"Mum and dad normally always wear wizarding robes," Bill said.

**Their children might don Muggle clothing during the holidays, but Mr. and Mrs. Weasley usually wore long robes in varying states of shabbiness.**

Arthur and Molly both tinged pink.

"I didn't mean anything by it," Harry said quickly. It was at moments like this when he hated reading these books the most.

"We know that dear," Molly said kindly.

**Harry wasn't bothered about what the neighbors would think,**

"They all think I'm some psychotic delinquent anyways," Harry said with a shrug.

**but he was anxious about how rude the Dursleys might be to the Weasleys if they turned up looking like their worst idea of wizards.**

Molly and Arthur smiled slightly, both glad that Harry cared about their feelings.

"They better not have said anything rude to you guys," Charlie growled.

**Uncle Vernon had put on his best suit.**

A few people rolled their eyes.

"Like we care how they dress," Fred said.

"They like to look impressive," Harry said in a tone that clearly said he didn't think they pulled it off.

**To some people, this might have looked like a gesture of welcome, but Harry knew it was because Uncle Vernon wanted to look impressive**

_'As if muggles could be impressive.'_ Draco thought sourly.

**and intimidating.**

Fred and George snorted.

"The Weasley's are wizards," Theo said. "I highly doubt they would find a bunch of fat muggles intimidating."

"We didn't." The twins and Ron said in unison.

**Dudley, on the other hand, looked somehow diminished.**

"I think his encounter with Hagrid scarred him for life," Harry said as though he was talking about the weather.

Hagrid blushed but it was hard to tell under his beard.

**This was not because the diet was at last taking effect, but due to fright.**

A few people looked amused.

The twins were smirking evilly, if he hadn't been scared of wizards before they were sure he was now.

**Dudley had emerged from his last encounter with a fully grown wizard with a curly pig's tail poking out of the seat of his trousers,**

The students laughed at the reminder.

"He what?" Andromeda asked, Dumbledore hadn't told them that.

"When Hagrid went to give Harry his Hogwarts letter he broke down the door and gave Dudley a pig's tail," Sirius said through his laughter.

**and Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon had had to pay for its removal at a private hospital in London.**

"I wonder what the doctors thought about that," Hermione mused.

"I would've loved to see the looks on his doctor's face," Justin chuckled.

**It wasn't altogether surprising, therefore, that Dudley kept running his hand nervously over his backside,**

Several students snickered.

"It was quite amusing," Harry said with a smirk.

**and walking sideways from room to room, so as not to present the same target to the enemy.**

"Surprisingly smart," Moody said, although he looked hesitant to admit it. "You never want to present a target to the enemy."

Umbridge sneered; the crazy man would complement a muggle.

**Lunch was an almost silent meal.**

"I prefer meals with the Dursley's to be that way," Harry said.

**Dudley didn't even protest at the food (cottage cheese and grated celery).**

"He must be scared if he isn't complaining," Ron said amusedly.

**Aunt Petunia wasn't eating anything at all. Her arms were folded, her lips were pursed, and she seemed to be chewing her tongue, as though biting back the furious diatribe she longed to throw at Harry.**

"At least she didn't say anything," Susan said trying to look on the bright side.

"I think she didn't want me to say anything to the Weasley's if they were rude to me that day," Harry said.

" **They'll be driving, of course?" Uncle Vernon barked across the table.**

"They think that wizards drive?" Ernie asked.

"I never told them how wizards travel," Harry said.

"Like they would've listened if you did tell them," Hermione said through pursed lips.

" **Er," said Harry.**

**He hadn't thought of that. How were the Weasleys going to pick him up? They didn't have a car anymore; the old Ford Anglia they had once owned was currently running wild in the Forbidden Forest at Hogwarts.**

There were a few chuckles and amused looks at the mention of the flying Ford Anglia.

"I wonder if the car's still there." Ron whispered to Harry.

"I would think so," Harry whispered back.

"You two aren't going in there to find out," Hermione hissed quietly from in between them.

"I agree with Hermione," Daphne said leaning over so Hermione and Ron could hear her.

**But Mr. Weasley had borrowed a Ministry of Magic car last year; possibly he would do the same today?**

"I was only allowed to borrow a ministry car because you were with us and the ministry thought that Sirius was after you," Arthur explained.

"And back then they didn't want you dead," Ron said tactlessly.

"Ron!" "Mr. Weasley!"

"What?" Ron asked with a shrug. "It's not like they'd help him these days."

"He's right," Harry said before anyone could yell at his best friend. Harry highly doubted that the ministry would do anything to save him these days, well maybe now they would but surely not before these books. After all a few days ago almost everyone in the hall besides a few of his friends thought he was a nutter who should be locked up in St Mungos.

" **I think so," said Harry.**

**Uncle Vernon snorted into his mustache.**

"I don't think that's the answer he was hoping for," Euan said.

**Normally, Uncle Vernon would have asked what car Mr. Weasley drove;**

The muggleborns rolled their eyes. There were a lot of muggles who judged a person by what kind of car they drove.

**he tended to judge other men by how big and expensive their cars were. But Harry doubted whether Uncle Vernon would have taken to Mr. Weasley even if he drove a Ferrari.**

"What's a Ferrari?" Blaise asked looking slightly confused.

"It's a brand of car, it's extremely expensive," Hermione explained. "Only rich people can afford them."

"They're really nice cars," Justin said, he had always dreamed of owning a red Ferrari.

**Harry spent most of the afternoon in his bedroom;**

"Which isn't unusual," Harry said.

Daphne frowned; she couldn't imagine being stuck in her room all day every day.

**he couldn't stand watching Aunt Petunia peer out through the net curtains every few seconds, as though there had been a warning about an escaped rhinoceros.**

A few people snorted.

Snape sneered; she really hadn't changed at all.

**Finally, at a quarter to five, Harry went back downstairs and into the living room.**

**Aunt Petunia was compulsively straightening cushions.**

Snape's sneer became even more pronounced. Correction, she had changed, she'd gotten worse.

**Uncle Vernon was pretending to read the paper, but his tiny eyes were not moving,**

"Good observation," Moody said.

 _'Mr. Potter is very good at noticing the little details most people would over look.'_ Amelia thought.

**and Harry was sure he was really listening with all his might for the sound of an approaching car. Dudley was crammed into an armchair,**

"Crammed into an armchair?" Daphne asked raising an eyebrow.

"He barely fit," Harry elaborated.

Daphne made a disgusted. "I'm glad you don't look like him."

Harry gave his girlfriend an amused look. "So am I."

**his porky hands beneath him, clamped firmly around his bottom.**

A few people snorted while others rolled their eyes.

**Harry couldn't take the tension; he left the room and went and sat on the stairs in the hall, his eyes on his watch and his heart pumping fast from excitement and nerves.**

"I was nervous about how the Dursley's would treat the Weasley's," Harry admitted.

"We could take anything those idiots throw at us," George said airily.

**But five o'clock came and then went.**

Several of the adults frowned, it wasn't like Arthur to be late.

**Uncle Vernon, perspiring slightly in his suit,**

Lavender and Parvati exchanged grossed out looks.

**opened the front door, peered up and down the street, then withdrew his head quickly.**

"Paranoid," Dean stage whispered.

The adults didn't bother to reprimand him; they were too busy giving the book incredulous looks.

" **They're late!" he snarled at Harry.**

"Don't yell at him," Daphne snapped. "It's not his fault."

"It's fine," Harry said calmly giving her waist a squeeze.

" **I know," said Harry. "Maybe - er - the traffic's bad, or something."**

"Somehow I doubt that," Alicia said giving the twins suspicious looks.

"It wasn't us," George said seriously.

"Honest," Fred said putting his hands up in surrender.

**Ten past five…then a quarter past five…Harry was starting to feel anxious himself now.**

"Where are you guys?" Hannah asked frowning.

"We'll be there soon," Arthur said sheepishly.

**At half past, he heard Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia conversing in terse mutters in the living room.**

" **No consideration at all."**

The Weasley children glared at the book.

" **We might've had an engagement."**

"Doubtful," Ginny muttered.

" **Maybe they think they'll get invited to dinner if they're late."**

"Yeah right," Ron said rolling his eyes. "I'd rather eat my mum's cooking."

"Me too," Harry said. "Aunt Petunia is a horrible cook."

" **Well, they most certainly won't be," said Uncle Vernon,**

"Of course," Ginny said angrily. "Merlin forbid wizards were to eat in your home."

**and Harry heard him stand up and start pacing the living room. "They'll take the boy and go, there'll be no hanging around.**

"He had a name," Daphne said tersely. "It's Harry, use it."

Harry kissed the side of Daphne's mouth. "It's fine, I'm used to it."

This didn't make Daphne any less mad. "You shouldn't have to be used to it."

"She's right," Hermione said frowning.

"Now you have two girls who will complain to you," Seamus said snickering.

Daphne and Hermione both glared at Seamus causing him to stop snickering and a few others to start.

**That's if they're coming at all. Probably mistaken the day. I dare say** _**their kind** _ **don't set much store by punctuality.**

There were angry mutterings all around the hall.

**Either that or they drive some tin-pot car that's broken**

There were glares sent to the book.

"He's arrogant," Anthony said.

"Understatement," Harry muttered.

**d- AAAAAAARRRRRGH!"**

"What's happened?" Justin asked.

**Harry jumped up. From the other side of the living room door came the sounds of the three Dursleys scrambling, panic-stricken, across the room.**

The twins exchanged smirks, they were about to make their appearance.

**Next moment Dudley came flying into the hall, looking terrified.**

The twins and Lee snickered.

" **What happened?" said Harry. "What's the matter?"**

**But Dudley didn't seem able to speak. Hands still clamped over his buttocks, he waddled as fast as he could into the kitchen.**

The hall broke into snickers and amused looks.

"He's really fat if he waddles," Lavender said scrunching her nose.

**Harry hurried into the living room. Loud bangings and scrapings were coming from behind the Dursleys' boarded-up fireplace, which had a fake coal fire plugged in front of it.**

"Oh my," Angelina said, her lips beginning to twitch.

"What?" Dennis asked looking confused.

Angelina just shook her head.

Those who understood what was happening were trying to hold in laughter.

" **What is it?" gasped Aunt Petunia, who had backed into the wall and was staring, terrified, toward the fire. "What is it, Vernon?"**

**But they were left in doubt barely a second longer. Voices could be heard from inside the blocked fireplace.**

The hall went silent and everyone turned to look at the Weasley's. Arthur was red, Molly was glaring at her husbands, the twins and Ron were laughing, Bill and Charlie looked amused and Ginny was shaking with silent laughter.

" **Ouch! Fred, no - go back, go back, there's been some kind of mistake – tell George not to - OUCH!**

"Too late," George snickered.

**George, no, there's no room, go back quickly and tell Ron-"**

The hall burst into laughter.

"You got stuck in their fireplace?" Justin asked through his laughter.

"Y-y-yes," Fred stammered out as he clutched his twin for support.

"Oh Merlin that's hilarious!" Terry exclaimed.

"How is that even possible?" Susan asked, she had managed not to laugh but her lips were twitching.

"I'm sure the book will explain," an extremely amused Harry answered.

" **Maybe Harry can hear us, Dad - maybe he'll be able to let us out-"**

The laughter that had died down came back.

**There was a loud hammering of fists on the boards behind the electric fire.**

" **Harry? Harry, can you hear us?"**

"Oh, I could hear you," Harry said through his chuckling.

**The Dursleys rounded on Harry like a pair of angry wolverines.**

The laughter died at once.

"They're going to blame you?" Daphne demanded. "You didn't do anything."

"They don't care," Harry said shaking his head.

Daphne glared at the book before grabbing Harry's free hand.

" **What is this?" growled Uncle Vernon. "What's going on?"**

"How's he supposed to know?" Alicia asked angrily.

"I'm sorry if we got you into trouble," Arthur said looking both embarrassed and worried.

"It's fine Mr. Weasley you didn't know how my relatives were and besides I left right after this," Harry said.

" **They - they've tried to get here by Floo powder," said Harry, fighting a mad desire to laugh.**

"I don't blame you," Dean chuckled.

"It took all of my will power not to laugh," Harry admitted, though he had no problem laughing now.

" **They can travel by fire - only you've blocked the fireplace – hang on -"**

"Why would they want to block their fireplace?" Ernie asked confused.

"Some muggles have electric fireplaces," Justin explained.

**He approached the fireplace and called through the boards.**

The twins and Lee were snickering.

" **Mr. Weasley? Can you hear me?"**

**The hammering stopped. Somebody inside the chimney piece said, "Shh!"**

"That must've been a funny sight," Lavender said giggling. "Trying to talk to someone who's stuck in a fireplace."

"It was," Harry said. "I'm pretty sure the Dursley's thought I had gone mad, or more so than they already thought I was."

" **Mr. Weasley, it's Harry…the fireplace has been blocked up. You won't be able to get through there."**

" **Damn!" said Mr. Weasley's voice. "What on earth did they want to block up the fireplace for?"**

"It's not something wizards do," Arthur said.

"True, but you were in a muggle house dad," Bill pointed out.

" **They've got an electric fire," Harry explained.**

" **Really?" said Mr. Weasley's voice excitedly.**

Those who knew Mr. Weasley laughed.

"Oh Arthur," Molly said fondly.

Lucius sneered. _'No decent wizard should be fascinated by filthy muggles.'_

On the other side of the staff table Umbridge was thinking the same thing.

" **Eclectic, you say?**

The muggleborns laughed.

"It's electric Mr. Weasley," Hermione said kindly.

"Oh," Arthur said turning red.

**With a** _**plug** _ **?**

"He's like a child at Christmas," Kingsley said but not unkindly.

**Gracious, I must see that…**

By now most of the hall was laughing.

**Let's think… ouch, Ron!"**

**Ron's voice now joined the others'.**

A few people groaned, an extra person was just going to make it worse.

" **What are we doing here? Has something gone wrong?"**

"Obviously," Malfoy drawled.

"Shut it ferret," Ron snapped as his ears turned red.

" **Oh no, Ron," came Fred's voice, very sarcastically. "No, this is exactly where we wanted to end up."**

The students snickered while George high fived his twin.

" **Yeah, we're having the time of our lives here," said George,**

"Hilarious," Ron muttered as he went redder.

**whose voice sounded muffled, as though he was squashed against the wall.**

"I was," George said. "It was crowded enough before little Ronnikins showed up."

"I didn't know you guys were stuck," Ron said annoyed.

" **Boys, boys…" said Mr. Weasley vaguely. "I'm trying to think what to do… Yes… only way… Stand back, Harry."**

"Oh this should be good," Dean said looking amused.

Those who figured out what he was going to do were grinning or leaning forward in anticipation.

Molly was narrowing her eyes at the book.

**Harry retreated to the sofa. Uncle Vernon, however, moved forward.**

"Bad idea." The twins sing songed.

" **Wait a moment!" he bellowed at the fire. "What exactly are you going to -"**

**BANG.**

Molly turned her narrowed eyes to her husband, he had forgot to mention the small detail of blowing up the Dursley's living room to her.

**The electric fire shot across the room as the boarded-up fireplace burst outward, expelling Mr. Weasley, Fred, George, and Ron in a cloud of rubble and loose chippings.**

The hall burst into laughter.

"Oh what I wouldn't give to have seen their faces," Lee said as he doubled over in laughter.

"That would've been hilarious!" Seamus exclaimed.

"You blew up their fireplace?" Molly demanded looking very much like the saber tooth tiger Harry described her as two books prior.

"It had to be done Molly dear," Arthur said looking sheepish; red was slowing moving up his face.

"We'll be talking about this later," Molly said dangerously calm.

It took a few minutes for all of the laughter to die down.

**Aunt Petunia shrieked and fell backward over the coffee table;**

Snape didn't bother to stop a smirk from forming on his lips.

A few people rolled their eyes, drama queen.

**Uncle Vernon caught her before she hit the floor,**

A few people who were angry at the Dursley's looked slightly disappointed.

"If only she would've fell backwards hard enough for both of them to fall," George sighed.

Molly sent her son a stern look which he ignored while a lot of people laughed.

**and gaped, speechless,**

"If I was a muggle and someone blew up my fireplace before walking out of it I'd be speechless too," Justin said amusedly.

**at the Weasleys, all of whom had bright red hair, including Fred and George, who were identical to the last freckle.**

"You sure do know how to make an entrance," Anthony said amusedly.

The twins beamed.

" **That's better," panted Mr. Weasley, brushing dust from his long green robes and straightening his glasses. "Ah - you must be Harry's aunt and uncle!"**

There was some more laughter.

"They probably thought Mr. Weasley was crazy," Lee said laughing.

"Oh, they did," Harry assured him.

**Tall, thin, and balding, he moved toward Uncle Vernon, his hand outstretched, but Uncle Vernon backed away several paces, dragging Aunt Petunia.**

"Honestly," Hermione said exasperated. "He won't kill you."

"Unfortunately," Draco muttered.

**Words utterly failed Uncle Vernon.**

"I like him much better when he's not talking," Ron said spitefully. He wanted to go over to Harry's relatives and hex them all so badly that they never even looked at his best friend again.

**His best suit was covered in white dust, which had settled in his hair and mustache and made him look as though he had just aged thirty years.**

The hall started to laugh again.

"This chapter is making my day," Sirius said once his laughter subsided.

 _'Good.'_ Harry thought. _'Because I doubt the later chapters will be cheerful.'_

" **Er - yes - sorry about that," said Mr. Weasley, lowering his hand and looking over his shoulder at the blasted fireplace.**

A few people snorted.

"I'm sure he appreciated that," Theo said sarcastically.

" **It's all my fault. It just didn't occur to me that we wouldn't be able to get out at the other end. I had your fireplace connected to the Floo Network, you see - just for an afternoon, you know, so we could get Harry.**

Umbridge smirked. "That is illegal Mr. Weasley."

"This was over a year ago," Harry snapped, he didn't want to deal with Umbridge.

"It doesn't matter, you students may not be able to be punished for past deeds done at this school but the law is the law," Umbridge simpered.

"Arthur isn't the one who hooked up the fireplace Dolores," Amelia cut in with pursed lips. "So he shouldn't be punished."

Umbridge's smirk vanished to be replaced by a scowl.

Harry and the Weasley kids smirked until they saw Umbridge write something on her clipboard than their eyes narrowed.

"What do you reckon she's writing?" Ron leaned over Hermione to whisper to Harry.

"Nothing good," Harry said quietly.

**Muggle fireplaces aren't supposed to be connected, strictly speaking - but I've got a useful contact at the Floo Regulation Panel and he fixed it for me.**

Umbridge scribbled more down on her clipboard.

**I can put it right in a jiffy, though, don't worry. I'll light a fire to send the boys back, and then I can repair your fireplace before I Disapparate."**

"I don't think the muggles understood a word of that," Tonks said amusedly.

"They didn't," Harry said.

**Harry was ready to bet that the Dursleys hadn't understood a single word of this.**

Harry and Tonks grinned at each other.

**They were still gaping at Mr. Weasley, thunderstruck.**

"As much as I hate to say this, I really can't blame them," Justin said. "Most muggles would be in shock if they saw people come flying out of their fireplace."

"That is true," Hermione said. "Especially since I doubt Harry told them that wizards travel through fireplaces."

"I didn't," Harry said.

**Aunt Petunia staggered upright again and hid behind Uncle Vernon.**

A few people rolled their eyes.

"They're wizards," Theo said as though talking to a five year old. "Hiding behind your fat lard of a husband wouldn't save you if they actually wanted to hurt you."

" **Hello, Harry!" said Mr. Weasley brightly. "Got your trunk ready?"**

"I don't think they'll like how nice he's being to Harry," Justin said annoyed.

"They probably didn't," Susan said pursing her lips; she looked like a young Amelia.

" **It's upstairs," said Harry, grinning back.**

" **We'll get it," said Fred at once. Winking at Harry, he and George left the room.**

"What are you two up to?" Katie asked as she eyed the twins suspiciously.

"Who says we're up to anything?" Fred asked innocently.

"You're Fred and George," Katie said dryly. "You two are always up to something."

"We're offended!" The twins exclaimed with mock pouts.

Katie snorted. "I'm sure."

**They knew where Harry's bedroom was, having once rescued him from it in the dead of night.**

There were glares and growls sent towards the book at the reminder.

**Harry suspected that Fred and George were hoping for a glimpse of Dudley;**

"We were." The twins said in unison.

Their mother sent them a disapproving look, she wasn't happy about what they did to the boy even though he was a bully.

**they had heard a lot about him from Harry.**

"Not enough," George muttered darkly.

The twins were both uncharacteristically angry, they both knew that the Dursley's weren't nice people but neither of them knew it had been that bad. They wished that Harry would've told them but if he didn't tell Hermione and Ron there's no way he would've told anyone else.

" **Well," said Mr. Weasley, swinging his arms slightly, while he tried to find words to break the very nasty silence.**

"I wouldn't bother," Sirius said waving his hand. "They aren't worth wasting your breath."

**"Very - erm - very nice place you've got here."**

A few people snorted.

"I'm sure it looks lovely covered in dust," Kevin snickered.

**As the usually spotless living room was now covered in dust and bits of brick, this remark didn't go down too well with the Dursleys.**

"I wouldn't think it would," Tonks said with a smirk.

**Uncle Vernon's face purpled once more, and Aunt Petunia started chewing her tongue again.**

"They are so bloody annoying," Seamus groaned.

"I hope this is the last chapter they're in," Dean complained. "I don't know how much more of them I can take."

**However, they seemed too scared to actually say anything.**

"They don't want a repeat of what happened with Hagrid," said and amused Charlie.

**Mr. Weasley was looking around. He loved everything to do with Muggles.**

Lucius sneered, what a pathetic excuse for a pureblood.

**Harry could see him itching to go and examine the television and the video recorder.**

A few people chuckled.

Kingsley and Remus were shaking their heads fondly, that was such an Arthur way to react to all the muggle things.

" **They run off eckeltricity, do they?" he said knowledgeably.**

The muggleborns snickered.

"Electricity Mr. Weasley," Hermione said kindly.

" **Ah yes, I can see the plugs. I collect plugs," he added to Uncle Vernon. "And batteries. Got a very large collection of batteries. My wife thinks I'm mad, but there you are."**

A few people looked amused.

"I bet they loved that," Justin snickered. "They probably agreed with your wife."

"Oh they did," Harry said. "They thought he was completely mental."

**Uncle Vernon clearly thought Mr. Weasley was mad too.**

The Weasley children resumed their glaring at the book.

Arthur blushed while Molly grabbed his hand and gave him a smile.

"There's nothing wrong with you dear," Molly told her husband.

Lucius' expression clearly said he disagreed with Molly's words.

**He moved ever so slightly to the right, screening Aunt Petunia from view, as though he thought Mr. Weasley might suddenly run at them and attack.**

"I wish." The twins said under their breath.

Lee who heard them tried to cover up his snickers.

**Dudley suddenly reappeared in the room. Harry could hear the clunk of his trunk on the stairs, and knew that the sounds had scared Dudley out of the kitchen.**

There was more snickering.

"Your cousin would be such a great form of entertainment," Blaise said with an amused gleam in his eyes.

**Dudley edged along the wall, gazing at Mr. Weasley with terrified eyes, and attempted to conceal himself behind his mother and father.**

"He failed," Ron said.

**Unfortunately, Uncle Vernon's bulk, while sufficient to hide bony Aunt Petunia, was nowhere near enough to conceal Dudley.**

"I doubt even Hagrid could block Dudley," Harry said.

Several girls made disgusted faces.

" **Ah, this is your cousin, is it, Harry?" said Mr. Weasley, taking another brave stab at making conversation.**

"Gryffindor," Zacharias muttered.

" **Yep," said Harry, "that's Dudley."**

**He and Ron exchanged glances and then quickly looked away from each other;**

Harry and Ron exchanged amused glances.

**the temptation to burst out laughing was almost overwhelming.**

"It was." Ron and Harry said in unison.

"I had to bite my tongue to keep myself from laughing," Ron said.

**Dudley was still clutching his bottom as though afraid it might fall off.**

"The whole family is paranoid," Stephen said shaking his head.

"More like the whole family is mental," Eddie Carmichael muttered.

**Mr. Weasley, however, seemed genuinely concerned at Dudley's peculiar behavior.**

Molly sent another smile at her husband.

"I thought that there was something wrong with him," Arthur admitted.

"There is," Harry said.

A few people snickered.

**Indeed, from the tone of his voice when he next spoke, Harry was quite sure that Mr. Weasley thought Dudley was quite as mad as the Dursleys thought he was,**

Most of the hall looked amused and a few of the students laughed.

**except that Mr. Weasley felt sympathy rather than fear.**

Amelia smiled; she wished that more wizards would show compassion for muggles.

Umbridge and Lucius were sneering; of course a Weasley would show sympathy to a muggle.

" **Having a good holiday, Dudley?" he said kindly.**

"No thankfully," Ron muttered spitefully.

**Dudley whimpered. Harry saw his hands tighten still harder over his massive backside.**

Lavender and Parvati both looked disgusted.

**Fred and George came back into the room carrying Harry's school trunk. They glanced around they entered and spotted Dudley. Their faces cracked into identical evil grins.**

The professors narrowed their eyes at the book.

Molly glared at her twin sons, knowing exactly what they had done.

"This is going to be good," Dean said rubbing his hands together.

"Oh, it is," Fred said grinning evilly.

" **Ah, right," said Mr. Weasley. "Better get cracking then."**

**He pushed up the sleeves of his robes and took out his wand. Harry saw the Dursleys draw back against the wall as one.**

There were more snickers.

" _ **Incendio!**_ **" said Mr. Weasley, pointing his wand at the hole in the wall behind him.**

**Flames rose at once in the fireplace, crackling merrily as though they had been burning for hours.**

"That scared the Dursley's," Harry announced.

 _'Good.'_ Several people thought.

**Mr. Weasley took a small drawstring bag from his pocket, untied it, took a pinch of the powder inside, and threw it onto the flames, which turned emerald green and roared higher than ever.**

"Floo, your favorite way to travel isn't it?" Hermione asked Harry with an innocent smile.

"Oh hush Hermione," Harry said giving his best friend an amused look. "I hate the floo."

"Do you like any method of travel?" Daphne inquired.

"Brooms," Harry said.

"I think it'd be pretty hard to use a broom to get around," Daphne said.

"I use the floo I just don't like it," Harry told his girlfriend.

"You'll probably like apparition," Daphne told him. "It's awkward at first but you get used to it."

Harry looked confused. "I thought you had to be seventeen to apparate?"

"Oh you do," Daphne said. "But you can side along apparate at any age, my parents take Story and I like that sometimes, it can be easier."

" **Off you go then, Fred," said Mr. Weasley.**

" **Coming," said Fred. "Oh no - hang on -"**

"He's going to do something," Alicia said knowingly.

The twins traded smirks.

**A bag of sweets had spilled out of Fred's pocket and the contents were now rolling in every direction - big, fat toffees in brightly colored wrappers.**

Every Gryffindor began to laugh, knowing exactly what those sweets were.

"What's so funny about a couple of sweets?" Ernie asked; his brow furrowed.

The Hufflepuff's questions caused the Gryffindors laughter to increase.

Molly was frowning, it wasn't funny at all.

**Fred scrambled around, cramming them back into his pocket, then gave the Dursleys a cheery wave,**

Fred smirked.

**stepped forward, and walked right into the fire, saying "the Burrow!"**

"I hope he eats it," Dean said grinning.

"Me too," Seamus said as he leaned forward in anticipation.

"I want to know what's so important about these sweets," Ernie whispered to Justin.

**Aunt Petunia gave a little shuddering gasp.**

Snape sneered, he knew for a fact that Lily had told Petunia about the various ways in which magical people traveled.

**There was a whooshing sound, and Fred vanished.**

" **Right then, George," said Mr. Weasley, "you and the trunk."**

**Harry helped George carry the trunk forward into the flames and turn it onto its end so that he could hold it better. Then, with a second whoosh, George had cried "the Burrow!" and vanished too.**

"I wish we could've stayed just a few minutes longer," George said wistfully.

"Me too dear brother, me too," Fred said.

Now everyone besides the Gryffindors was even more curious to know what was going to happen.

" **Ron, you next," said Mr. Weasley.**

" **See you," said Ron brightly to the Dursleys.**

Ron began to snicker quietly.

**He grinned broadly at Harry, then stepped into the fire, shouted "the Burrow!" and disappeared. Now Harry and Mr. Weasley alone remained.**

" **Well… 'bye then," Harry said to the Dursleys.**

"Such a polite boy," Molly said sweetly.

Umbridge scowled, the boy is not polite.

**They didn't say anything at all. Harry moved toward the fire, but just as he reached the edge of the hearth, Mr. Weasley put out a hand and held him back. He was looking at the Dursleys in amazement.**

" **Harry said good-bye to you," he said. "Didn't you hear him?"**

"It's not a big deal honestly," Harry shrugged.

He was sent pitying looks which as usual he ignored.

" **It doesn't matter," Harry muttered to Mr. Weasley. "Honestly, I don't care."**

Daphne looked at Harry; she could see sadness in his eyes as Millicent continued to read. She could tell that he cared; he was just so used to it that he was resigned to being treated that way. It was as though he thought by repeating that he didn't care would somehow make his words come true. It wasn't fair; Harry really did deserve to have people love and care about him.

**Mr. Weasley did not remove his hand from Harry's shoulder.**

"Awkward." Several people muttered.

" **You aren't going to see your nephew till next summer," he said to Uncle Vernon in mild indignation. "Surely you're going to say good-bye?"**

Harry snorted. "They were glad to get rid of me, a feeling that is entirely mutual."

**Uncle Vernon's face worked furiously. The idea of being taught consideration by a man who had just blasted away half his living room wall seemed to be causing him intense suffering.**

The students couldn't stop themselves from laughing; it was both amusing and ironic.

Arthur blushed, when it was worded like that it did sound bad.

**But Mr. Weasley's wand was still in his hand, and Uncle Vernon's tiny eyes darted to it once, before he said, very resentfully, "Good-bye, then."**

"How thoughtful," Sirius growled. He wanted to apparate to Private Drive and tear Vernon Dursley limb from limb.

" **See you," said Harry, putting one foot forward into the green flames, which felt pleasantly like warm breath. At that moment, however, a horrible gagging sound erupted behind him, and Aunt Petunia started to scream.**

"What happened?" Sirius asked eagerly.

"If the twins did it, it'll be good," Dean said leaning forward.

**Harry wheeled around. Dudley was no longer standing behind his parents. He was kneeling beside the coffee table, and he was gagging and sputtering on a foot-long, purple, slimy thing that was protruding from his mouth.**

A few girls made disgusted faces at the description.

"Wicked!" Justin said grinning.

"Is that his tongue?" Anthony asked looking interested and amused.

"Yes." The twins said with identical smirks.

"That's disgusting," Lavender said looking repulsed.

"No it's not," Seamus said laughing. "It's amazing!"

**One bewildered second later, Harry realized that the foot-long thing was Dudley's tongue - and that a brightly colored toffee wrapper lay on the floor before him.**

The hall was laughing hysterically at the image of Dudley with a foot-long purple tongue.

"Oh Merlin," Dean gasped out. "That's the funniest thing I've ever heard."

"You two are amazing!" Jimmy said in awe to the twins.

The twins stood up and bowed, ignoring the disapproving looks from their mother and the other adults.

"Thank you, thank you." The twins said in unison.

Daphne's face was buried in Harry's chest as she tried to get her laughter under control.

Ron was laughing so hard his face and neck were tomato red.

"I see what's so special about those candies," Justin said once his laughter subsided. "Where'd you two get those?"

"We invented them," George said proudly.

"You invented those?" Justin asked surprised. "They're brilliant."

"Why thank you," Fred said getting up to bow once more, this time with dramatic flair.

"That is impressive magic boys," Flitwick squeaked.

Those who had gotten their laughter under control looked at the Charms professor in shock.

"I didn't say I approve of the way they used them," Flitwick said. "I said it was impressive magic."

"It really is," Hermione admitted reluctantly.

"You know it's brilliant if both Professor Flitwick and Hermione say so," Charlie said.

The twins beamed.

Umbridge was scowling, those two were menaces. They should be locked away merely for existing.

Filch was muttering under his breath while glaring at the red headed twins.

**Aunt Petunia hurled herself onto the ground beside Dudley, seized the end of his swollen tongue, and attempted to wrench it out of his mouth;**

Some people laughed, other looked amused while some looked at the book incredulously.

"These muggles are beyond stupid," Draco sneered.

Surprisingly no one said anything to disagree with the young Malfoy heir.

**unsurprisingly, Dudley yelled and sputtered worse than ever, trying to fight her off.**

There were snickers at all four house tables.

"Idiots the lot of them," Theo muttered.

**Uncle Vernon was bellowing and waving his arms around,**

"Yes," Draco drawled. "Because waving your arms around like a lunatic is going to help the situation."

A few people snickered albeit reluctantly.

**and Mr. Weasley had to shout to make himself heard.**

" **Not to worry, I can sort him out!" he yelled, advancing on Dudley with his wand outstretched,**

"They won't like that," Susan said with a grimace.

"Looking back it probably wasn't the best way to handle the situation," Arthur sighed.

**but Aunt Petunia screamed worse than ever and threw herself on top of Dudley, shielding him from Mr. Weasley.**

"That won't do any good," Angelina said.

"He's only trying to help," Alicia said frowning.

"I don't really blame her, after all their track record with wizards isn't the greatest," Katie said reluctantly. "The first one gives her son a pig's tail and the next ones she meets give her son a foot long purple tongue."

" **No, really!" said Mr. Weasley desperately. "It's a simple process it was the toffee - my son Fred - real practical joker –**

Fred and George smiled, they were proud of their jokes.

Molly frowned, she knew her twin sons weren't stupid but she couldn't fathom why they wanted to waste their talents with jokes.

**but it's only an Engorgement Charm - at least, I think it is - please, I can correct it -"**

"It's not only an engorgement charm," Fred said.

"There's other charms as well in the toffee," George said proudly.

"Well they did both get OWLs in Charms," Bill said chuckling.

**But far from being reassured, the Dursleys became more panic- stricken; Aunt Petunia was sobbing hysterically, tugging Dudley's tongue as though determined to rip it out;**

There was more laughter.

**Dudley appeared to be suffocating under the combined pressure of his mother and his tongue;**

"You two are amazing," Dean said his eyes dancing with mirth.

"We know." The twins said grinning.

**and Uncle Vernon, who had lost control completely, seized a china figure from on top of the sideboard and threw it very hard at Mr. Weasley,**

The Weasley children, Harry and Hermione narrowed their eyes at the book.

**who ducked, causing the ornament to shatter in the blasted fireplace.**

There were glares sent towards the book.

"Oi!" The Weasley children yelled.

"Now really?" Molly huffed. "He was just trying to help."

"I was fine dear," Arthur assured his wife.

" **Now really!" said Mr. Weasley angrily, brandishing his wand. "I'm trying to** _ **help**_ **!"**

"He shouldn't be mad at Mr. Weasley," Susan said frowning.

"He's a wizard, my uncle would blame him just because of that," Harry said seriously.

**Bellowing like a wounded hippo,**

"You really do have the most amusing descriptions Harry," Luna said dreamily.

Harry looked amused. "Thanks Luna."

**Uncle Vernon snatched up another ornament.**

Bill and Charlie narrowed their eyes at the book.

" **Harry, go! Just go!" Mr. Weasley shouted, his wand on Uncle Vernon. "I'll sort this out!"**

"Good," Molly said approvingly. "Harry shouldn't be there if they're going to be throwing stuff."

**Harry didn't want to miss the fun,**

The twins grinned at Harry while Molly sent him a disapproving look.

"I don't blame you pup," Sirius said grinning.

**but Uncle Vernon's second ornament narrowly missed his left ear,**

Daphne now joined the Weasley's in glaring at the book.

"He better not hit you," Hermione said angrily.

"He didn't," Harry assured his best friend.

**and on balance he thought it best to leave the situation to Mr. Weasley.**

"That's surprising," Ron said. "You never want to leave a situation to anyone else."

"I didn't want to deal with an angry Uncle Vernon," Harry said with a shrug.

**He stepped into the fire, looking over his shoulder as he said "the Burrow!"**

"I don't blame you pup," Sirius said, he was still laughing. "I would've wanted to watch too."

**His last fleeting glimpse of the living room was of Mr. Weasley blasting a third ornament out of Uncle Vernon's hand with his wand,**

A few people started laughing while Arthur turned red.

**Aunt Petunia screaming and lying on top of Dudley,**

"He's probably soft enough for it to be comfortable," Lee said with a smirk.

**and Dudley's tongue lolling around like a great slimy python.**

By now most of the students in the hall were laughing.

"I agree with Luna," Ginny said smiling. "You have great descriptions."

**But next moment Harry had begun to spin very fast, and the Dursleys' living room was whipped out of sight in a rush of emerald-green flames.**

"That's the end of this chapter," Millicent said as she marked the page.

"I'll read next," Astoria volunteered.

Millicent handed the third year the book.

Once the hall calmed down Astoria began to read the next chapter.


	6. Weasley's Wizard Wheezes

**"Weasley's Wizard Wheezes,"** Astoria read.

The twins grinned from ear to ear while a few people raised their eyebrows or shot curious looks towards the twins.

Molly pursed her lips.

**Harry spun faster and faster, elbows tucked tightly to his sides, blurred fireplaces flashing past him, until he started to feel sick and closed his eyes.**

"His descriptions make me never want to use the floo," Dennis murmured to his brother.

"I agree," Colin whispered back.

**Then, when at last he felt himself slowing down, he threw out his hands and came to a halt in time to prevent himself from falling face forward out of the Weasleys' kitchen fire.**

"How is it you always land on your face?" Fred asked amused.

"I didn't grow up using the floo," said a red faced Harry.

"Neither did Hermione and she doesn't land on her-" George began.

"Do not finish that sentence Mr. Weasley," McGonagall said sternly.

"What?" George asked innocently. "All I was going to say was-"

"George," Molly said warningly.

The students were snickering while Hermione rolled her eyes.

**"Did he eat it?" said Fred excitedly,**

"Of course he did!" Dean said amusedly.

"Dud would never pass up an opportunity to eat," Harry said.

**holding out a hand to pull Harry to his feet.**

"How come you two always help Harry?" Cormac asked as he eyed the twins warily. "But you prank everyone else."

"Because he's Harry," George said as though that explained everything, which for the twins it did.

" **Yeah," said Harry, straightening up. "What was it?"**

" **Ton-Tongue Toffee," said Fred brightly. "George and I invented them,**

"Those are brilliant," Euan said enthusiastically.

"I still can't believe you two invented those," Sirius said, but he looked proud.

"It truly is impressive," Flitwick said. "If only you two showed that much initiative in my class."

The twins grinned sheepishly.

**and we've been looking for someone to test them on all summer…"**

A few people snorted, that was such a Fred and George thing to say.

Molly sent her twin sons a disapproving look. "What if it had caused a bad reaction?"

"He was fine," George said with a careless wave of his hand.

"But something could have happened," Molly said sternly. "He could've had an allergy or something could've gone wrong."

"We knew that nothing bad would happen mum," Fred said placatingly.

"Yeah, after all we did invent them so we know what's in them," George said.

Molly opened her mouth but stopped when Arthur put his hand on her arm.

**The tiny kitchen exploded with laughter; Harry looked around and saw that Ron and George were sitting at the scrubbed wooden table with two red-haired people Harry had never seen before,**

Bill and Charlie looked up; this was the first time they met Harry.

**though he knew immediately who they must be: Bill and Charlie, the two eldest Weasley brothers.**

Bill and Charlie grinned.

"Oh I can't wait to hear their descriptions," George said rubbing his hands together.

Bill and Charlie's smiles falter.

"I don't think I want to know," Charlie said.

"They can't be any worse than mine was," Ron muttered.

"Stop complaining Ron," Hermione said. "No one's description was very nice."

" **How're you doing, Harry?" said the nearer of the two, grinning at him and holding out a large hand, which Harry shook, feeling calluses and blisters under his fingers.**

"Charlie," Tonks said knowingly.

Charlie looked down at his hands. They were all rough from his dealings with dragons, but he loved working with dragons and he wouldn't have it any other way.

**This had to be Charlie, who worked with dragons in Romania. Charlie was built like the twins, shorter and stockier than Percy and Ron, who were both long and lanky. He had a broad, good-natured face, which was weather-beaten and so freckly that he looked almost tanned; his arms were muscular, and one of them had a large, shiny burn on it.**

"My description isn't that bad," Charlie said, his smile coming back.

Molly looked at her son's arms which were visible since he was wearing a short sleeve shirt and frowned. She was glad that Charlie loved his job but she wished he had chosen a safer profession. There was a war going on which made her worry constantly and the one son who is away from the war works with large fire breathing dragons.

**Bill got to his feet, smiling, and also shook Harry's hand. Bill came as something of a surprise.**

Bill raised an eyebrow.

**Harry knew that he worked for the wizarding bank, Gringotts, and that Bill had been Head Boy at Hogwarts; Harry had always imagined Bill to be an older version of Percy: fussy about rule-breaking and fond of bossing everyone around.**

Bill looked surprised but he could see why Harry would think he'd be like Percy.

Charlie looked between Bill and Percy and had to stop himself from laughing as he pictured an uptight Bill, it seemed completely ridiculous to him.

"What?" The twins, Ron and Ginny said looking shocked.

"Bill is nothing like Percy," Ginny said making a face.

Percy frowned.

"I didn't mean it in a bad way Perce," Ginny said quickly when she saw the look on her brothers face. "I just meant that you and Bill are complete opposites."

**However, Bill was - there was no other word for it - cool.**

Bill grinned. "Thanks Harry."

"No problem," Harry said as he tried to avoid the amused looks being sent his way.

**He was tall, with long hair that he had tied back in a ponytail. He was wearing an earring with what looked like a fang dangling from it.**

Molly pursed her lips at the mention of his long hair and earring.

"You really should cut it," Molly said as she eyed her eldest son's hair.

"No mum," Bill said sounding exasperated.

"But it's unprofessional," Molly chided.

"I've told you before mum, the goblins don't care what I look like," Bill said, "as long as I bring back plenty of treasure."

"I like it," Fleur said as she ran a finger over his ponytail.

Molly scowled; she didn't understand what exactly it was that Bill saw in Fleur. For her son, she was trying to give the girl the benefit of the doubt but she didn't seem like Bill's type at all. However she wanted to at least try to get to know her and she hoped to learn more from this book. But at the same time she wanted to snag her son away from the girl.

**Bill's clothes would not have looked out of place at a rock concert, except that Harry recognized his boots to be made, not of leather, but of dragon hide.**

"I've always wanted a pair," Ron said wistfully.

"Of dragon hide boots?" Hermione asked somewhat surprised.

"Yeah," Ron said nodding his head.

Harry made a mental note; maybe he could get Ron a pair for Christmas.

**Before any of them could say anything else, there was a faint popping noise, and Mr. Weasley appeared out of thin air at George's shoulder. He was looking angrier than Harry had ever seen him.**

"Really?" Kingsley asked, surprise was obvious in his deep voice. "I don't think I've seen you angry before Arthur."

"It takes a lot to make dad really angry," Bill said.

"But when he is watch out because you know you've done something bad," Charlie added.

The other Weasley children nodded in agreement.

" **That wasn't funny Fred!" he shouted.**

"Yes it was." Several people muttered.

**"What on earth did you give that Muggle boy?"**

The twins smirked.

"Just a little special something," Lee said in a voice that made everyone think of a male Trelawney.

" **I didn't give him anything," said Fred, with another evil grin.**

"Technically I didn't," Fred said with a smug look. "It's not my fault the pig eats everything he sees."

The students snickered while the adults looked at Fred with disapproval.

**"I just dropped it… It was his fault he went and ate it, I never told him to."**

"Exactly." The twins said together.

"Agreeing with your past self?" Ron asked amusedly.

"Of course," Fred said. "My past self was right."

" **You dropped it on purpose!" roared Mr. Weasley.**

"Of course they did," Ginny said. "Everything Fred and George do is on purpose."

"You got us there sister dearest," George said.

**"You knew he'd eat it, you knew he was on a diet -"**

The twins whistled innocently.

"The whole innocent act doesn't work once you've admitted to doing it on purpose," Charlie said rolling his eyes.

Harry and Ron both snorted.

" **How big did his tongue get?" George asked eagerly.**

The students chuckled.

"I can't believe you asked that when dad was in a temper," Charlie said with mirth.

"We were curious," George said with a shrug.

" **It was four feet long before his parents would let me shrink it!"**

The students once more broke into snickers.

"I'm surprised you told them Arthur," Remus said seriously, although his lips were twitching and amusement dancing in his amber eyes.

"I was angry," Arthur said sheepishly. "It just came out."

**Harry and the Weasleys roared with laughter again.**

"I don't blame you," said a chuckling Dean. "If I had been there I would've been bursting with laughter."

" **It isn't funny!" Mr. Weasley shouted. "That sort of behavior seriously undermines wizard-Muggle relations!**

Lucius was internally rolling his eyes, as was Umbridge.

**I spend half my life campaigning against the mistreatment of Muggles, and my own sons."**

"We didn't do it because he was a muggle." The twins said indignantly.

"We did it because he's a git," Fred said simply.

"That doesn't make it right," Molly said through pursed lips.

The twins rolled their eyes, thankfully for them their mother didn't see.

" **We didn't give it to him because he's a Muggle!" said Fred indignantly.**

"Exactly," Fred said in agreement with his past self.

**"No, we gave it to him because he's a great bullying git," said George.**

A few people laughed at the similarities between what they said over a year ago and now.

"You two don't change much do you?" Jimmy asked with mirth.

The twins just grinned in response.

**"Isn't he, Harry?"**

"Yes," Harry said.

"Understatement," Ron muttered.

" **Yeah, he is, Mr. Weasley," said Harry earnestly.**

A few people snorted.

"I don't think that's going to make him think it's okay," Susan said reasonably.

" **That's not the point!" raged Mr. Weasley. "You wait until I tell your mother -"**

"Threatening to tell mum," Charlie said shaking his head.

"Not cool dad," Bill said.

Arthur turned slightly red; he wasn't actually going to tell Molly until she heard the end of their conversation.

" **Tell me what?" said a voice behind them.**

"Uh oh," Lee said.

"Mum's have the worst timing," Anthony said knowingly.

"Especially ours." The twins said in unison.

The other Weasley children ignored looking at their mother as she sent the twins a sharp look.

**Mrs. Weasley had just entered the kitchen. She was a short, plump woman with a very kind face, though her eyes were presently narrowed with suspicion.**

"They usually are when the twins are around," Charlie said.

"With good reason," Molly said stiffly. "Those two are always up to something."

"We are not!" The twins said indignantly.

All around the hall there were snorts.

" **Oh hello, Harry, dear," she said, spotting him and smiling. Then her eyes snapped back to her husband. "Tell me what, Arthur?"**

**Mr. Weasley hesitated.**

"I don't think he was really going to tell," Seamus guessed.

"He wasn't." The twins said.

"He always threatens to tell mum," George began.

"But he never does," finished Fred.

Molly's head snapped to Arthur who looked like a deer caught in headlights.

**Harry could tell that, however angry he was with Fred and George, he hadn't really intended to tell Mrs. Weasley what had happened.**

Arthur's face became redder as Molly's eyes narrowed further.

 _'Harry was right.'_ Arthur thought.

**There was a silence, while Mr. Weasley eyed his wife nervously.**

A few of the students tried to cover up snickers.

"I don't blame you Arthur," Kingsley said. "Molly can be quite scary when she gets mad."

"Understatement." All of the Weasley children minus Percy said under their breath.

**Then two girls appeared in the kitchen doorway behind Mrs. Weasley. One, with very bushy brown hair and rather large front teeth,**

Sirius frowned. "Your front teeth aren't large, they seem normal to me."

"They used to be," Hermione said.

"What do you mean they used to be?" Sirius questioned.

"I'm sure it'll be in the book," was all Hermione said.

**was Harry's and Ron's friend, Hermione Granger. The other, who was small and red-haired, was Ron's younger sister, Ginny.**

Ginny frowned; she was still being described as Ron's younger sister.

Hermione noticed Ginny's frown which caused her to frown. She knew that Ginny still harboured feelings for Harry even though she was dating Michael. She hoped that Ginny didn't say or do anything stupid to destroy her friendship with Harry. The two had only recently become friends and it wouldn't take a lot to ruin it.

**Both of them smiled at Harry, who grinned back, which made Ginny go scarlet -**

The present day Ginny blushed at the mention of her past self blushing.

Michael noticed Ginny's blush and his eyes narrowed. _'Does Ginny still have feelings for Harry?'_

**she had been very taken with Harry ever since his first visit to the Burrow.**

Daphne turned to look at Ginny who was looking moodily down at the table. She felt a stab of annoyance. _'I hope she doesn't still like Harry.'_

Harry noticed Daphne watching Ginny, she looked slightly annoyed and he was momentarily confused until he realized she was probably feeling annoyed or jealous. Hermione was right; he is daft when it comes to girls.

"I like you," Harry whispered into Daphne's ear causing a faint blush to appear on her cheeks.

" **Tell me what, Arthur?" Mrs. Weasley repeated, in a dangerous sort of voice.**

"Someone's in trouble," Lee snickered.

**"It's nothing, Molly," mumbled Mr. Weasley, "Fred and George just - but I've had words with them -"**

"Did you really think that she would drop it?" Tonks asked with mirth.

"No," said a sheepish Arthur.

" **What have they done this time?" said Mrs. Weasley. "If it's got anything to do with Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes -"**

Molly pursed her lips at the mention of the name.

Harry noticed her look and frowned. He thought that the twins would be great at opening a joke shop and didn't think anyone; especially not their own mother should try to squash their dreams.

" **Why don't you show Harry where he's sleeping, Ron?" said Hermione from the doorway.**

"Good," Angelina said approvingly. "Get yourselves out of there."

" **He knows where he's sleeping," said Ron, "in my room, he slept there last -"**

The students groaned.

"Seriously Ron?" Dean asked giving Ron a sort of hopeless look.

Ron turned scarlet.

"Idiot," Pansy said to her friends.

" **We can all go," said Hermione pointedly.**

" **Oh," said Ron, cottoning on.**

"Took you long enough," Zacharias said degradingly.

Ron glared at the Hufflepuff.

**"Right."**

" **Yeah, we'll come too," said George.**

Bill and Charlie sent George an amused look.

"Please tell me you didn't actually think that would work?" Charlie asked incredulously.

"There's no way mum would let you go," Bill pointed out.

"It was worth a try," George said with a shrug.

" **You stay where you are!" snarled Mrs. Weasley.**

"You just made her madder," Charlie pointed out.

"Speaking from experience?" Tonks said teasingly.

Charlie tinged pink. "Maybe."

Remus felt a stab of jealousy at the teasing interaction between the two but he quickly squashed the feeling down. _'Dora needs someone like Charlie. Someone young, healthy and whole. Someone who could actually provide for her.'_

**Harry and Ron edged out of the kitchen, and they, Hermione, and Ginny set off along the narrow hallway and up the rickety staircase that zigzagged through the house to the upper stories.**

" **What are Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes?" Harry asked as they climbed.**

"Only the world's most amazing inventions," George said in a booming voice.

"The greatest products," Fred said pompously.

"Our life's work." The twins finished looking proud.

The students looked amused while Molly just looked disapproving.

**Ron and Ginny both laughed,**

"Of course we did," Ron said. "They're amazing and hilarious."

"Why thank you dear brother," Fred said.

**although Hermione didn't.**

"Of course not," Ron said shaking his head.

Hermione pursed her lips and crossed her arms over her chest.

" **Mum found this stack of order forms when she was cleaning Fred and George's room," said Ron quietly.**

A few people raised their eyebrows.

"Are the canary creams part of Weasley's Wizard Wheezes?" Neville asked.

"Yes." The twins answered grinning.

The Gryffindors laughed, they knew what canary creams are.

"Are you telling me that you two are selling your stuff at school?" Molly demanded.

"Wait," Tonks said. "If they're selling them; why does everyone seem surprised by everything?"

"I thought canary creams were just a joke thing," a blushing Neville answered. "I didn't know they had an entire collection of stuff."

"Me too." Several other Gryffindors said.

"That would explain why you guys wanted beta testers," Jimmy said, remembering seeing first years passing out in the common room.

"What?" Molly and McGonagall yelled.

The twins pointedly looked anywhere but at their mother and head of house.

"No one was getting hurt," Fred said quickly.

"And they were getting paid," George added.

"We were very careful," Fred added as an afterthought.

"And just where did you two get the money for all of this?" Molly demanded, her eyes narrowed in suspicion.

Harry quickly looked at the twins who didn't look at him for fear of giving him away; they weren't going to tell their mother he gave them his Triwizard earnings. The only way she'd find out was by Harry or the books.

"I'm sure the book will say Mrs. Weasley," Hermione said placatingly.

Molly didn't look happy with that answer but the reading continued before she could say anything.

**"Great long price lists for stuff they've invented. Joke stuff, you know. Fake wands and trick sweets, loads of stuff. It was brilliant, I never knew they'd been inventing all that…"**

The twins were beaming, they were extremely proud of everything they'd invented.

" **We've been hearing explosions out of their room for ages,**

A few eyebrows were raised.

"That's so not normal," Hannah murmured.

**but we never thought they were actually making things," said Ginny. "We thought they just liked the noise."**

"Oh, we do," Fred said.

"We love the noise," George said nodding his head.

"Of course you do," Charlie said rolling his eyes.

" **Only, most of the stuff - well, all of it, really - was a bit dangerous," said Ron,**

Umbridge's eyes were gleaming as she scribbled on her clipboard.

"They aren't doing anything illegal," Harry snapped when he saw Umbridge's expression.

Umbridge's head snapped up. "Excuse me Mr. Potter?"

"Fred and George aren't doing anything wrong," Harry said loudly, he was trying his hardest to keep his temper in check.

"We'll see about that," Umbridge simpered. "For their sakes I hope so."

The twins, their siblings and their friends glared at Umbridge.

"Even if they are breaking school rules you can't punish them," Harry said through gritted teeth.

"We'll see," Umbridge said with a smile, showing off yellowish teeth.

Harry narrowed his eyes, he didn't care if she messed with him but he drew the line at trying to get his friends into trouble.

**"and, you know, they were planning to sell it at Hogwarts to make some money, and Mum went and got mad at them. Told them they weren't allowed to make any more of it, and burned all the order forms…**

"That's not very nice Mrs. Weasley," Harry said looking at the woman who was a mother figure to him. "Fred and George worked hard."

"I want them to do their best in school Harry dear and they can't do that if they're goofing off," Molly said frowning.

"Fred and George are really talented," Harry said seriously. "I believe they'd be amazing at owning a joke shop."

"So do I," Ron said in his brothers' defense.

There were words of agreement from Gryffindor, Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff.

Molly was frowning. All she wanted was for her sons to have a good future, for them to not have to struggle like she and Arthur do. They were happy and in love but it was hard not having enough money and she didn't want any of her children to struggle financially.

The twins grinned at Harry who smiled back.

When Molly didn't say anything the reading resumed.

**She's furious at them anyway. They didn't get as many O.W.L.s as she expected."**

"I always wondered why you two didn't," Hermione said seriously.

"Really?" George asked surprised.

"Yeah," Hermione told him. "As much as I don't want to admit it, the stuff you two invent is amazing pieces of magic. You obviously know what you're doing."

"We spent more time learning the subjects we knew we'd need for our joke shop," Fred admitted.

 _'That explains a lot.'_ All of the twins' professors thought.

"I always knew you two could do the work if you put effort into it," Arthur said.

**O.W.L.s were Ordinary Wizarding Levels, the examinations Hogwarts students took at the age of fifteen.**

The fifth years grimaced, their work load was tremendous.

"I hated OWL year," a sixth year Ravenclaw complained.

Roger snorted. "OWL year is nothing compared to seventh year."

The other seventh years nodded in agreement to Roger's words.

**"And then there was this big row," Ginny said, "because Mum wants them to go into the Ministry of Magic like Dad, and they told her all they want to do is open a joke shop."**

"With the ministry being how it is at the moment I'm not surprised," Remus said honestly.

Umbridge glared at Remus. _'There's nothing wrong with the ministry.'_

Fudge wanted to defend his ministry but then he remembered everything that happened in the last three books, he decided it was best to keep quiet for the time being.

Rufus frowned. He hated the way Fudge ran things, he hoped that after these books Fudge would be fired and a new, competent minister could be hired. After hearing of what was in the first three books, the chances of Fudge keeping his job were slim to none.

"I just want them to have respectable jobs," Molly said.

The twins rolled their eyes; they would never work at the ministry no matter what their mother said.

**Just then a door on the second landing opened, and a face poked out wearing horn-rimmed glasses and a very annoyed expression.**

"Percy." The twins, Ron and Ginny said simultaneously.

" **Hi, Percy," said Harry.**

" **Oh hello, Harry," said Percy. "I was wondering who was making all the noise. I'm trying to work in here, you know I've got a report to finish for the office –**

Ron rolled his eyes, the last thing he wanted to listen to was Percy talking about work.

**and it's rather difficult to concentrate when people keep thundering up and down the stairs."**

Eyes were rolled at all four house tables.

"Then go work somewhere else," Cormac said snidely under his breath.

"Weren't they only going up the stairs?" Alicia asked.

Percy tinged red. "I was stressed and the noise was bothering me."

" **We're not thundering," said Ron irritably. "We're walking. Sorry if we've disturbed the top-secret workings of the Ministry of Magic."**

The students snickered while Percy went redder.

 _'No respect for the ministry.'_ Umbridge thought.

**"What are you working on?" said Harry.**

Groans echoed around the hall.

"Don't ask that," Dean whined.

"Now we're all going to have to listen," Seamus complained.

Percy was now so red he'd put a tomato to shame.

**"A report for the Department of International Magical Cooperation," said Percy smugly.**

"That's not a very good reason to be smug," Justin muttered as he rolled his eyes.

"How exhilarating," Cormac said dryly.

**"We're trying to standardize cauldron thickness.**

"Oh Merlin," Ron moaned. "Here we go."

The twins snickered.

"Does he talk about cauldron thickness a lot?" Lee asked amusedly.

"Yes," Ron said annoyed.

Percy sent his youngest brother a half-hearted glare.

**Some of these foreign imports are just a shade too thin - leakages have been increasing at a rate of almost three percent a year -"**

"How fascinating," Zacharias drawled.

Percy sniffed. "It's actually very important."

More eyes were rolled at Percy's statement while others just looked amused.

" **That'll change the world, that report will," said Ron. "Front page of the Daily Prophet, I expect, cauldron leaks."**

The hall laughed.

"Good one Ronnikins," Fred praised.

"Be nice to your brother," Arthur said sternly.

**Percy went slightly pink.**

" **You might sneer, Ron," he said heatedly, "but unless some sort of international law is imposed we might well find the market flooded with flimsy, shallow bottomed products that seriously endanger -"**

"And wouldn't that just be awful," Zacharias muttered.

Susan heard her fellow fifth year's muttering and glared at him, there was no need to be rude.

" **Yeah, yeah, all right," said Ron, and he started off upstairs again. Percy slammed his bedroom door shut.**

"He tells them to be quiet before slamming a door," a fifth year Hufflepuff snorted.

**As Harry, Hermione, and Ginny followed Ron up three more flights of stairs, shouts from the kitchen below echoed up to them. It sounded as though Mr. Weasley had told Mrs. Weasley about the toffees.**

The twins rubbed their ears; their mother had yelled herself hoarse.

**The room at the top of the house where Ron slept looked much as it had the last time that Harry had come to stay: the same posters of Ron's favorite Quidditch team, the Chudley Cannons,**

Faces were made at the mention of the Chudley Cannons.

"Horrid team." Several people mumbled.

Ron glared in the direction of the loudest mumbling.

**were whirling and waving on the walls and sloping ceiling, and the fish tank on the windowsill, which had previously held frog spawn, now contained one extremely large frog. Ron's old rat, Scabbers, was here no more,**

Glares were sent to the book at the mention of Scabbers.

"The books just had to mention that traitorous rat," Ron growled.

**but instead there was the tiny gray owl that had delivered Ron's letter to Harry in Privet Drive. It was hopping up and down in a small cage and twittering madly.**

"Mental," Dean said shaking his head.

Sirius looked amused. "I like him."

"Of course you do Padfoot," Remus said fondly.

"You always were fond of things that caused a ruckus," Andromeda said knowingly.

Sirius smirked at his cousin.

" **Shut up, Pig," said Ron, edging his way between two of the four beds that had been squeezed into the room.**

"Stupid name," a sixth year Slytherin muttered to his friend.

**"Fred and George are in here with us, because Bill and Charlie are in their room," he told Harry. "Percy gets to keep his room all to himself because he's got to work."**

A few people rolled their eyes.

" **Er - why are you calling that owl Pig?" Harry asked Ron.**

"That's what I'd like to know," a seventh year Slytherin said. "It's stupid."

Ginny glared in the direction of the Slytherin table.

" **Because he's being stupid," said Ginny, "Its proper name is Pigwidgeon."**

The hall was filled with snorts.

"Yeah, and that's not a stupid name at all," Zacharias sneered.

"Shut up," Ginny snapped, she thought the name was sweet.

Zacharias rolled his eyes.

" **Yeah, and that's not a stupid name at all," said Ron sarcastically. "Ginny named him," he explained to Harry.**

"Why the hell would you name an owl Pigwidgeon?" Cormac asked bewildered.

"I liked it," Ginny said defensively.

**"She reckons it's sweet. And I tried to change it, but it was too late, he won't answer to anything else.**

"Stubborn owl," Hannah pointed out.

"You have no idea," Ron muttered.

**So now he's Pig. I've got to keep him up here because he annoys Errol and Hermes.**

The students snickered.

"I don't blame them," Justin said. "He'd annoy me too."

"I'm just glad he doesn't sleep in our dorm," Dean said gratefully.

"Me too." Seamus and Neville agreed.

**He annoys me too, come to that."**

"You like him and you know it," Harry said smirking.

"Oh shut up," a red Ron muttered.

**Pigwidgeon zoomed happily around his cage, hooting shrilly.**

Ron rubbed his ears. "He does that a lot."

**Harry knew Ron too well to take him seriously. He had moaned continually about his old rat, Scabbers, but had been most upset when Hermione's cat, Crookshanks, appeared to have eaten him.**

"That's before I knew he was a psychotic death eater in disguise," Ron said disgusted.

"Most people do care about their pets," Parvati said with a look towards Lavender.

" **Where's Crookshanks?" Harry asked Hermione now.**

" **Out in the garden, I expect," she said. "He likes chasing gnomes.**

Luna frowned. "That's not very nice."

"The gnomes don't mind Luna," Hermione said as she gave the girl an odd look.

**He's never seen any before."**

" **Percy's enjoying work, then?" said Harry, sitting down on one of the beds and watching the Chudley Cannons zooming in and out of the posters on the ceiling.**

"I thought we were done hearing about that idiot," Montague muttered.

" **Enjoying it?" said Ron darkly. "I don't reckon he'd come home if Dad didn't make him. He's obsessed.**

"Sounds like Percy," a seventh year Slytherin muttered darkly.

Percy was extremely red. He knew now that he had been obsessed with work, obsessed enough to leave his family and side with the ministry so he didn't even bother to deny it. It did hurt a little though the way his siblings talked about his work but he knew he had no one to blame for himself. Hearing about himself from Harry's point of view made him see just how pompous he is viewed by others. He still wanted to be the best and succeed but he was going to try to be a little less pompous about it.

**Just don't get him onto the subject of his boss. According to Mr. Crouch…**

Sirius' eyes began to darken.

**as I was saying to Mr. Crouch… Mr. Crouch is of the opinion… Mr. Crouch was telling me… They'll be announcing their engagement any day now."**

The whole hall laughed while Percy blushed.

Sirius was glaring at the book, he wanted to curse someone at every mention of Crouch.

" **Have you had a good summer, Harry?" said Hermione. "Did you get our food parcels and everything?"**

" **Yeah, thanks a lot," said Harry. "They saved my life, those cakes."**

"Did you like the sugarless snacks?" Hermione inquired curiously.

"They were good," Harry told her. "They didn't taste much different from the normal kind."

" **And have you heard from -?" Ron began, but at a look from Hermione he fell silent.**

"Why?" Hannah asked.

"I think he was going to ask about Sirius but Hermione didn't want him to in front of Ginny," Susan guessed.

Ginny frowned; she wouldn't have told anyone if they had told her. But then again she probably would've thought they were going crazy, so it was probably for the best that they didn't.

**Harry knew Ron had been about to ask about Sirius. Ron and Hermione had been so deeply involved in helping Sirius escape from the Ministry of Magic that they were almost as concerned about Harry's godfather as he was.**

"Thanks," Sirius said as he smiled at the trio.

"Of course Sirius," Hermione said returning the smile.

"No problem," Ron said grinning.

**However, discussing him in front of Ginny was a bad idea. Nobody but themselves and Professor Dumbledore knew about how Sirius had escaped, or believed in his innocence.**

"People would've thought you were crazy if you told them," Neville pointed out.

"That's why we didn't tell anyone," Harry said.

" **I think they've stopped arguing," said Hermione, to cover the awkward moment, because Ginny was looking curiously from Ron to Harry.**

 _'The whole family is nosy.'_ Snape thought.

Hermione and Harry both shot Ron significant looks, he needed to learn to be careful when saying something others shouldn't hear. Ron guessed what they were trying to say and he nodded.

**"Shall we go down and help your mum with dinner?"**

" **Yeah, all right," said Ron. The four of them left Ron's room and went back downstairs to find Mrs. Weasley alone in the kitchen, looking extremely bad-tempered.**

"Of course I was bad tempered," Molly said, but it was more to herself than to anyone.

" **We're eating out in the garden," she said when they came in. "There's just not room for eleven people in here. Could you take the plates outside, girls? Bill and Charlie are setting up the tables. Knives and forks, please, you two," she said to Ron and Harry, pointing her wand a little more vigorously than she had intended at a pile of potatoes in the sink, which shot out of their skins so fast that they ricocheted off the walls and ceiling.**

Several of the students snickered.

"Mum must've been angry," Bill said as his eyebrows shot up.

" **Oh for heaven's sake," she snapped, now directing her wand at a dustpan, which hopped off the sideboard and started skating across the floor, scooping up the potatoes. "Those two!" she burst out savagely, now pulling pots and pans out of a cupboard, and Harry knew she meant Fred and George.**

Molly knew what was about to be read and she could feel herself turning pink.

**"I don't know what's going to happen to them, I really don't. No ambition, unless you count making as much trouble as they possibly can…"**

Fred and George frowned at their mother's past words.

The occupants in the hall were beginning to feel awkward; they doubted the Weasley's wanted everyone to hear his.

Molly was slowly turning red from embarrassment.

"That's not fair to say the twins have no ambition mum," Bill said frowning at his mother.

"They're really into the idea of opening a joke shop," Charlie said in his brothers' defense. "It's obvious they put a lot of effort into it."

**Mrs. Weasley slammed a large copper saucepan down on the kitchen table and began to wave her wand around inside it. A creamy sauce poured from the wand tip as she stirred.**

" **It's not as though they haven't got brains," she continued irritably, taking the saucepan over to the stove and lighting it with a further poke of her wand, "but they're wasting them,**

The twins weren't going to admit it but their mothers words hurt. They both loved their mother but they wished that she could be more supportive. They knew that they would be great at owning and operating a joke shop. They had the money and the talent, if their mother would give them a chance they know she'd be proud of the end results.

Harry by now was also frowning.

Arthur sighed and ran a hand over his face. The twins joking around was always a source of worry for his wife. He knew that his wife just wanted all of their children to succeed but if she wasn't careful she was going to push them away.

**and unless they pull themselves together soon, they'll be in real trouble. I've had more owls from Hogwarts about them than the rest put together.**

"You shouldn't compare them to your other kids," Harry said quietly but everyone still heard him. "They're all different."

"Harry's right," Percy said. He knew the twins were different but they weren't screw up no matter how many times he told them they were, they were smart and unlike him they knew how to have fun. Percy sometimes envied his brothers for being able to just relax and have fun. Even he knew the twins would never be happy working for the ministry even though he told them they should on many occasions.

The twins looked surprised that Percy was agreeing with Harry and they gave their brother matching smiles.

Molly was now crimson; she didn't know what to say.

"And you really shouldn't put them down in front of others," Tonks said seriously. "That put Harry and Hermione into an awkward position and most likely it did with Ron as well. If I had a sibling I wouldn't want to hear my mum put them down, and Harry and Hermione probably felt really uncomfortable."

Molly nodded tightly. She hadn't meant to put them down, she loved the twins as much as her other children, she was just worried about their futures and she had been so angry with them that day.

**If they carry on the way they're going, they'll end up in front of the Improper Use of Magic Office."**

_'They should've already been brought before the Improper Use of Magic Office.'_ Umbridge thought.

**Mrs. Weasley jabbed her wand at the cutlery drawer, which shot open. Harry and Ron both jumped out of the way as several knives soared out of it,**

"You should be more careful Molly," Andromeda said sending her a frown.

"I didn't mean to," Molly shook her head. "I was just so frustrated."

**flew across the kitchen, and began chopping the potatoes, which had just been tipped back into the sink by the dustpan.**

" **I don't know where we went wrong with them," said Mrs. Weasley,**

The hall was no full of awkward tension.

Molly looked mortified, Arthur looked both apprehensive and worried, the twins looked stony and the other Weasley children were looking between their mother and the twins.

"You didn't go wrong anywhere," Sirius said angrily. "They like to have a laugh! So what? There's nothing wrong with that, they aren't hurting anyone. Besides; the world could use more laughter especially at a time like this."

"I'm sorry boys," Molly said looking close to tears as she looked at the twins. "I didn't mean it to come out like that." Molly sighed. "I just worry that you two won't be able to find jobs and that you'll have to struggle like your father and I do. I only want what's best for you; after all I know you two are smart and talented. It's hard as a mother when you see your kids not trying to be their best; I just want you to be happy."

"We're happy making jokes," Fred said seriously.

"We want to open a joke shop because that's what we like," George said just as seriously.

"We're good at it," Fred added.

"We know we can succeed at owning our own business," George told Molly.

"But you won't even give us a chance to show you that," Fred said sounding genuinely hurt.

A few tears spilled from Molly's eyes. "If it means that much to you, I can try to understand. But I'm still going to worry about you two just like I do your siblings."

"Thanks mum." The twins said together.

Arthur wrapped an arm around his wife and she buried her head in his shoulder.

**putting down her wand and starting to pull out still more saucepans. "It's been the same for years, one thing after another, and they won't listen to - OH NOT AGAIN!"**

"What happened now?" Justin asked exasperated.

"I don't think it's anything serious," Susan said slowly.

**She had picked up her wand from the table, and it had emitted a loud squeak and turned into a giant rubber mouse.**

The students burst into laughter.

**"One of their fake wands again!" she shouted.**

"Did you two make those?" Sirius asked interested.

"Yes." The twins answered.

"You'll have to show me those," Sirius said looking like a school boy.

Remus shook his head fondly. _'Some things never change.'_

**"How many times have I told them not to leave them lying around?"**

"They do it because they know you'll pick them up," Ginny said amused.

"Ginny," Ron moaned. "Don't tell mum that."

"It's not like she didn't already know," Ginny said rolling her eyes.

"Of course I knew," Molly said, but it sounded muffled since her head was still on her husband's shoulder.

**She grabbed her real wand and turned around to find that the sauce on the stove was smoking.**

"You must've been distracted if your cooking was suffering," Tonks said. "Your food is always superb."

"Thank you," Molly said kindly.

" **C'mon," Ron said hurriedly to Harry, seizing a handful of cutlery from the open drawer, "let's go and help Bill and Charlie."**

"Good excuse for leaving," Jack said.

**They left Mrs. Weasley and headed out the back door into the yard.**

**They had only gone a few paces when Hermione's bandy-legged ginger cat, Crookshanks, came pelting out of the garden, bottle-brush tail held high in the air, chasing what looked like a muddy potato on legs.**

A few people snickered at the mental image.

"Crookshanks loves chasing gnomes," Hermione said with a fond smile.

**Harry recognized it instantly as a gnome. Barely ten inches high, its horny little feet pattered very fast as it sprinted across the yard and dived headlong into one of the Wellington boots that lay scattered around the door.**

"They're playing tag," Lee said jokingly.

A few people sniggered.

**Harry could hear the gnome giggling madly as Crookshanks inserted a paw into the boot, trying to reach it.**

"Sounds like a funny sight," Euan said snickering.

"Oh, it was," Harry said amusedly.

**Meanwhile, a very loud crashing noise was coming from the other side of the house.**

"What now?" Several people questioned.

"Is your house ever quiet?" Alicia asked raising an eyebrow.

"No." All of the Weasley children chorused.

**The source of the commotion was revealed as they entered the garden, and saw that Bill and Charlie both had their wands out, and were making two battered old tables fly high above the lawn, smashing into each other,**

The students laughed.

"You two would do that," Tonks said knowingly as she laughed.

"It's fun," Charlie said with a shrug.

**each attempting to knock the other's out of the air. Fred and George were cheering, Ginny was laughing, and Hermione was hovering near the hedge, apparently torn between amusement and anxiety.**

"Oh, come on Hermione," Ron said exasperated. "Lighten up."

Hermione glared at Ron.

**Bill's table caught Charlie's with a huge bang and knocked one of its legs off. There was a clatter from overhead, and they all looked up to see Percy's head poking out of a window on the second floor.**

"I bet Percy didn't like all the noise," a seventh year Gryffindor guessed.

Ron snorted. "No, he didn't."

" **Will you keep it down?" he bellowed.**

"They were just having fun," Cormac said as he rolled his eyes.

" **Sorry, Perce," said Bill, grinning.**

A few people snorted.

"He sounds sorry," Kevin Whitby said sarcastically.

**"How're the cauldron bottoms coming on?"**

There were a few groans.

"You just had to ask," Owen muttered.

" **Very badly," said Percy peevishly, and he slammed the window shut.**

"Someone's in a bad mood," Stephen pointed out the obvious.

"Percy was always in a bad mood that summer," Ron said with a careless shrug.

"Thank you Ron," Percy said dryly.

**Chuckling, Bill and Charlie directed the tables safely onto the grass, end to end, and then, with a flick of his wand, Bill reattached the table leg and conjured tablecloths from nowhere.**

**By seven o'clock, the two tables were groaning under dishes and dishes of Mrs. Weasley's excellent cooking,**

"You really are an excellent cook," Kingsley praised.

"Thank you," Molly said with a faint blush.

**and the nine Weasleys, Harry, and Hermione were settling themselves down to eat beneath a clear, deep-blue sky. To somebody who had been living on meals of increasingly stale cake all summer, this was paradise,**

"It would've been paradise anyways," Harry said. "Mrs. Weasley makes the best food."

Molly smiled at the boy who was like a son to her. "Thank you Harry dear."

**and at first, Harry listened rather than talked as he helped himself to chicken and ham pie, boiled potatoes, and salad.**

"That sounds so good," Ron moaned as his stomach growled.

"Hungry?" Charlie asked amused.

Ron blushed.

**At the far end of the table, Percy was telling his father all about his report on cauldron bottoms.**

More groans.

"You've got to be kidding me," Zacharias muttered.

"How can someone talk so much about such a pointless subject," Cormac complained under his breath.

**"I've told Mr. Crouch that I'll have it ready by Tuesday," Percy was saying pompously. "That's a bit sooner than he expected it,**

"I'm sure Crouch will love that," Vaisey muttered to Warrington and Urquhart.

**but I like to keep on top of things. I think he'll be grateful I've done it in good time, I mean, its extremely busy in our department just now, what with all the arrangements for the World Cup. We're just not getting the support we need from the Department of Magical Games and Sports. Ludo Bagman -"**

The twins got uncharacteristically dark looks on their faces at the mention of Ludo Bagman.

" **I like Ludo," said Mr. Weasley mildly. "He was the one who got us such good tickets for the Cup. I did him a bit of a favor: His brother, Otto, got into a spot of trouble - a lawnmower with unnatural powers - I smoothed the whole thing over."**

Umbridge smiled nastily as she scribbled on her clipboard once again.

Harry was watching Umbridge and his eyes narrowed slightly, he really wanted to know what was on that clipboard. He knew whatever it was wasn't good for anyone but Umbridge.

" **Oh Bagman's likable enough, of course," said Percy dismissively, "but how he ever got to be Head of Department… when I compare him to Mr. Crouch!**

Sirius muttered a string of curses of his breath; he hated Barty Crouch Sr with a passion.

**I can't see Mr. Crouch losing a member of our department and not trying to find out what's happened to them. You realize Bertha Jorkins has been missing for over a month now?**

The hall was silent for a moment in honor of Bertha.

**Went on holiday to Albania and never came back?"**

" **Yes, I was asking Ludo about that," said Mr. Weasley, frowning. "He says Bertha's gotten lost plenty of times before now - though must say, if it was someone in my department, I'd be worried…"**

"He should've sent someone to look for her," Ted said.

"He should've," Arthur said taking off his glasses and cleaning the lenses. "But unfortunately it wouldn't have changed her fate."

" **Oh Bertha's hopeless, all right," said Percy.**

Percy blanched, he now felt bad for saying that.

**"I hear she's been shunted from department to department for years, much more trouble than she's worth… but all the same, Bagman ought to be trying to find her. Mr. Crouch has been taking a personal interest, she worked in our department at one time, you know, and I think Mr. Crouch was quite fond of her - but Bagman just keeps laughing and saying she probably misread the map and ended up in Australia instead of Albania.**

"Bagman was always useless," a seventh year Slytherin mumbled.

"That's why someone shouldn't be made head of a department just because he or she's famous," Moody barked. "Fame doesn't make you qualified."

**However" - Percy heaved an impressive sigh and took a deep swig of elderflower wine -**

"Merlin he's pathetic," Pansy simpered quietly to Draco.

**"we've got quite enough on our plates at the Department of International Magical Cooperation without trying to find members of other departments too. As you know, we've got another big event to organize right after the World Cup."**

"You just had to say that in front of Harry, Ron and Hermione," Sirius said shaking his head.

Percy blushed; he had been trying to sound impressive to make his family proud of him.

**Percy cleared his throat significantly and looked down toward the end of the table where Harry, Ron, and Hermione were sitting. "You know the one I'm talking about, Father." He raised his voice slightly. "The top-secret one."**

All around the hall eyes were rolled.

"Don't try to rub their faces in it," Tonks said frowning.

"That wasn't very nice," Luna said, her dreamy voice sounding suddenly not so dreamy.

Percy went from pink to red.

**Ron rolled his eyes and muttered to Harry and Hermione, "He's been trying to get us to ask what that event is ever since he started work. Probably an exhibition of thick-bottomed cauldrons."**

The students snorted.

"If only," Harry muttered.

Daphne squeezed Harry's hand; she knew this was going to be difficult for him. She didn't know what happened the night Cedric died but she knew it would be hard for Harry to hear.

**In the middle of the table, Mrs. Weasley was arguing with Bill about his earring, which seemed to be a recent acquisition.**

"… **with a horrible great fang on it. Really, Bill, what do they say at the bank?"**

"Like I said," Bill said, "the goblins don't care."

Molly pursed her lips; she still didn't like his piercing.

" **Mum, no one at the bank gives a damn how I dress as long as I bring home plenty of treasure," said Bill patiently.**

"Exactly," Bill said agreeing with his past self.

" **And your hair's getting silly, dear," said Mrs. Weasley, fingering her wand lovingly.**

A few people looked amused at the wording.

**"I wish you'd let me give it a trim…"**

"No way," Bill said vehemently.

There was laughter at the look on Bill's face.

" **I like it," said Ginny, who was sitting beside Bill. "You're so old-fashioned, Mum. Anyway, it's nowhere near as long as Professor Dumbledore's…"**

"No one's hair is as long as Dumbledore's," Dean said laughing.

Dumbledore's beard was quivering as he ran a hand over it.

**Next to Mrs. Weasley, Fred, George, and Charlie were all talking spiritedly about the World Cup.**

" **It's got to be Ireland," said Charlie thickly, through a mouthful of potato. "They flattened Peru in the semifinals."**

" **Bulgaria has got Viktor Krum, though," said Fred.**

Viktor looked up at the mention of him.

" **Krum's one decent player, Ireland has got seven," said Charlie shortly.**

"My whole team is full of good players," Viktor said indignantly.

"I didn't mean it like that," Charlie said as he held up his hands.

A few people snickered at the look on his face.

**"I wish England had got through. That was embarrassing, that was."**

"It was extremely embarrassing," Charlie said shaking his head.

" **What happened?" said Harry eagerly, regretting more than ever his isolation from the wizarding world when he was stuck on Privet Drive.**

"I'll take you to plenty of quidditch games this summer," Sirius told his godson.

"Thanks Sirius," Harry said grinning.

" **Went down to Transylvania, three hundred and ninety to ten," said Charlie gloomily.**

Fans of the England International team grimaced.

"That game was horrible," Tonks sighed.

" **Shocking performance. And Wales lost to Uganda, and Scotland was slaughtered by Luxembourg."**

**Harry had been on the Gryffindor House Quidditch team ever since his first year at Hogwarts and owned one of the best racing brooms in the world, a Firebolt. Flying came more naturally to Harry than anything else in the magical world, and he played in the position of Seeker on the Gryffindor House team.**

"And he's brilliant," Oliver said proudly.

**Mr. Weasley conjured up candles to light the darkening garden before they had their homemade strawberry ice cream,**

"That sounds so good," Ron said as his mouth watered.

**and by the time they had finished, moths were fluttering low over the table, and the warm air was perfumed with the smells of grass and honeysuckle. Harry was feeling extremely well fed and at peace with the world as he watched several gnomes sprinting through the rosebushes, laughing madly and closely pursued by Crookshanks.**

Harry grinned; he always enjoyed his time at the Burrow.

**Ron looked carefully up the table to check that the rest of the family were all busy talking, then he said very quietly to Harry, "So - have you heard from Sirius lately?"**

**Hermione looked around, listening closely.**

"Good," Moody said. "Make sure no one else is listening."

" **Yeah," said Harry softly, "twice. He sounds okay. I wrote to him yesterday. He might write back while I'm here."**

**He suddenly remembered the reason he had written to Sirius, and for a moment was on the verge of telling Ron and Hermione about his scar hurting again, and about the dream that had awoken him… but he really didn't want to worry them just now, not when he himself was feeling so happy and peaceful.**

Hermione pursed her lips and Ron shook his head.

"You should've told us," Hermione said.

"I didn't want to worry you guys," Harry said with a shrug.

Hermione and Ron exchanged exasperated looks.

" **Look at the time," Mrs. Weasley said suddenly, checking her wristwatch. "You really should be in bed, the whole lot of you you'll be up at the crack of dawn to get to the Cup. Harry, if you leave your school list out, I'll get your things for you tomorrow in Diagon Alley. I'm getting everyone else's. There might not be time after the World Cup, the match went on for five days last time."**

"If only the one we had gone to had lasted that long," Charlie said wistfully.

"I wouldn't have been able to stay if it had," Bill said. "The goblins wouldn't have given me time off to watch quidditch."

" **Wow - hope it does this time!" said Harry enthusiastically.**

"That would've been brilliant," Ron said grinning.

"I want to see a match like that," Eddie Carmichael said enthusiastically.

"I don't think I'd want to watch a five day long match," Hannah said.

The quidditch enthusiasts around her looked at her like she had three heads causing her to roll her eyes.

" **Well, I certainly don't," said Percy sanctimoniously.**

Oliver looked at Percy scandalized.

"Of course you don't." A few people muttered.

**"I shudder to think what the state of my in-tray would be if I was away from work for five days."**

Eyes were once again rolled at Percy's words.

" **Yeah, someone might slip dragon dung in it again, eh, Perce?" said Fred.**

"Someone put dung in your in-tray?" Seamus asked through his laughter.

Percy turned red.

" **That was a sample of fertilizer from Norway!" said Percy, going very red in the face.**

"Fertilizer sample from Norway?" Ernie repeated incredulously.

"Somehow I doubt that," Justin said amused.

Percy tinged pink.

**"It was nothing personal!"**

Cormac snorted. "I'm sure it was."

Percy went even pinker.

" **It was," Fred whispered to Harry as they got up from the table. "We sent it."**

All of the students burst into laughter as Percy went as red as his hair.

Molly and Arthur sent the twins disapproving looks.

"Sorry Perce," Fred said between his laughter.

"But you have to admit," George said as he clutched his stomach.

"That it's hilarious." The twins finished together.

Percy didn't look like he agreed with them.

"Who wants to read next?" Astoria asked as she closed the book.

"I will," Tracey said as she took the book from Astoria.


	7. The Portkey

**"The Portkey,"** read Tracey.

Harry flinched, he hated portkeys.

Daphne frowned but squeezed his hand. "Are you okay?" She asked quietly.

"I hate portkeys," Harry said just as quiet.

"You used one the other day didn't you?" Daphne asked.

"Yeah, but I hate them," Harry told her.

"Are you going to be okay?" Daphne asked worriedly.

Harry gave Daphne a small smile; he could tell she was worried about him. "I'll be fine," he said before giving her a quick kiss.

**Harry felt as though he had barely lain down to sleep in Ron's room when he was being shaken awake by Mrs. Weasley.**

"I hate being woken up early," Terry moaned.

"So do I, but it would be worth it to watch the Quidditch World Cup," Anthony said.

"It would be worth not sleeping for a week to see the World Cup," Kevin said wistfully.

" **Time to go, Harry, dear," she whispered, moving away to wake Ron.**

"Why did you whisper if you were just going to wake Ron up anyways?" Tonks asked.

"It's a habit to be quiet when someone's sleeping," Molly said as she blushed.

**Harry felt around for his glasses, put them on, and sat up. It was still dark outside.**

"That means I still should've been asleep," Ron muttered. "That was way too early."

Hermione rolled her eyes, it hadn't been that bad.

**Ron muttered indistinctly as his mother roused him.**

"Ron's never been easy to wake up in the mornings," Ginny said to the annoyance of her brother.

"Most teenage boys aren't," Charlie told his sister.

"Especially not Charlie," Bill said, his lips twitching.

"Oi!" Charlie exclaimed.

**At the foot of Harry's mattress he saw two large, disheveled shapes emerging from tangles of blankets.**

"You two slept at the foot of his bed?" Angelina asked incredulously.

The twins shrugged.

"There wasn't anywhere else to sleep," Fred said.

"Wasn't that uncomfortable?" Alicia asked awkwardly.

"Not really," George said off handedly.

"It was fine," Harry assured his team mate and friend.

"' **S' time already?" said Fred groggily.**

"Aren't you articulate in the morning," Alicia said teasingly.

Fred sent her an over exaggerated mock glare.

**They dressed in silence, too sleepy to talk, then, yawning and stretching, the four of them headed downstairs into the kitchen.**

**Mrs. Weasley was stirring the contents of a large pot on the stove,**

"At least you guys get to eat before you go," Neville said pointing out the obvious.

"I don't know what I would've done if we hadn't gotten food," Ron said making a face.

"I'm sure you would've survived," Hermione said dryly.

**while Mr. Weasley was sitting at the table, checking a sheaf of large parchment tickets.**

"I never asked," Harry said as he looked at his girlfriend. "Did you go to the World Cup?" **  
**

Daphne smiled. "Yes, I went with my parents, Astoria and Tracey. We didn't sit in the top box but we did have really good seats."

"Did you cheer for Ireland?" Seamus asked as he looked seriously at the Slytherin.

"Yes," Daphne said amusedly.

**He looked up as the boys entered and spread his arms so that they could see his clothes more clearly. He was wearing what appeared to be a golfing sweater and a very old pair of jeans, slightly too big for him and held up with a thick leather belt.**

"That's not a bad attempt at dressing like a muggle," Kingsley said.

Arthur beamed; he had hoped he dressed properly.

Lucius sneered; he would never stoop so low as to dress like muggle filth.

" **What d'you think?" he asked anxiously. "We're supposed to go incognito - do I look like a Muggle, Harry?"**

"You looked like a muggle," Harry said giving the Weasley patriarch a smile.

"Good, good," Arthur said, he was still smiling.

" **Yeah," said Harry, smiling, "very good."**

" **Where're Bill and Charlie and Per-Per-Percy?" said George, failing to stifle a huge yawn.**

Angelina shook her head; the twins had never been morning people.

" **Well, they're Apparating, aren't they?" said Mrs. Weasley, heaving the large pot over to the table and starting to ladle porridge into bowls. "So they can have a bit of a lie-in."**

"Now that I think about it," Hermione said. "Why couldn't we have side along apparated?"

"We thought everyone would be more comfortable using a portkey," Arthur said.

Harry grimaced; he didn't like portkeys before the third task.

Daphne gave Harry a kiss on the edge of his lips. She didn't like how he was reacting every time a portkey was mentioned.

**Harry knew that Apparating meant disappearing from one place and reappearing almost instantly in another, but had never known any Hogwarts student to do it, and understood that it was very difficult.**

"It is difficult at first," Kingsley said. "That's why there are so many apparition accidents."

"That's also why a witch or wizard has to be seventeen," Amelia added.

" **So they're still in bed?" said Fred grumpily, pulling his bowl of porridge toward him. "Why can't we Apparate too?"**

"You need a license." Hermione, Susan and Terry said in unison.

The three looked at each other and smiled.

" **Because you're not of age and you haven't passed your test," snapped Mrs. Weasley.**

"No need to be grumpy," George muttered.

" **And where have those girls got to?"**

"We were getting ready," Ginny said.

**She bustled out of the kitchen and they heard her climbing the stairs.**

" **You have to pass a test to Apparate?" Harry asked.**

"I was raised by muggles," Harry said half exasperated and half annoyed to the amused looks he was receiving.

"It's like muggles passing their driving test," Justin said knowledgeably.

"Their what?" Theo asked bewildered.

"In order to drive a car or a motorcycle, they're both types of muggle transportation," Justin explained. "A muggle needs to take a test to get a license."

" **Oh yes," said Mr. Weasley, tucking the tickets safely into the back pocket of his jeans.**

"Make sure you don't lose them," Sirius said seriously.

"I'm sure he won't lose them Padfoot," Remus said amused.

" **The Department of Magical Transportation had to fine a couple of people the other day for Apparating without a license. It's not easy, Apparition, and when it's not done properly it can lead to nasty complications.**

"Like splinching," Marcus said to himself.

**This pair I'm talking about went and splinched themselves."**

Those who knew what splinching was winced.

"What's splinching?" Dennis asked curiously.

"The book will explain I'm sure," Harry said when it looked like Hermione was going to explain.

**Everyone around the table except Harry winced.**

"I didn't know what it was," Harry said before anyone could say anything.

" **Er -** _ **splinched**_ **?" said Harry.**

" **They left half of themselves behind,"**

Those who hadn't known what splinching was before looked sick.

"That sounds painful," Colin said with a grimace.

"Oh, it is," Sirius said with a wince.

"Have you splinched yourself?" Tonks asked her cousin.

"Yes," Sirius said grumpily.

"What'd you leave behind?" Tonks asked interested.

"Several fingers," Sirius answered as he open and closed his hand.

**said Mr. Weasley, now spooning large amounts of treacle onto his porridge.**

Ron looked at the empty table in front of him with longing.

"Lunch will be soon," Hermione said when she noticed where he was looking.

**"So, of course, they were stuck. Couldn't move either way.**

"That would be horrible," Hannah said with a shiver.

"That's why people need to be careful when first learning to apparate," Remus said. "And when apparating a person needs to concentrate."

**Had to wait for the Accidental Magic Reversal Squad to sort them out.**

"That would be horrible if you had to wait for a long time," Parvati said seriously.

"They're usually fairly quick," Remus said.

**Meant a fair old bit of paperwork, I can tell you, what with the Muggles who spotted the body parts they'd left behind…"**

Amelia and Rufus both nodded; there were a lot of cases like that.

"It must've been an odd sight for the muggles," Justin said. He knew that his parents would probably pass out if they saw and arm or a leg lying about.

**Harry had a sudden vision of a pair of legs and an eyeball lying abandoned on the pavement of Privet Drive.**

"That's a lovely imagine," Katie said dryly.

" **Were they okay?" he asked, startled.**

"I'm sure they were fine," Terry said off handedly. "The Accidental Magic Reversal Squad can fix almost anything."

" **Oh yes," said Mr. Weasley matter-of-factly.**

"That's good," Hannah said relieved.

**"But they got a heavy fine, and I don't think they'll be trying it again in a hurry. You don't mess around with Apparition. There are plenty of adult wizards who don't bother with it. Prefer brooms - slower, but safer."**

"Apparition is the easiest form of travel," Remus said. "You can apparate from anywhere, well unless there are anti-apparition wards up or muggles are around."

"Yeah," Sirius agreed, "it's better than floo because you don't need a fireplace."

"It can't be any worse than a portkey," Harry muttered.

" **But Bill and Charlie and Percy can all do it?"**

" **Charlie had to take the test twice," said Fred, grinning.**

Charlie flushed at the memory.

The twins snickered.

" **He failed the first time. Apparated five miles south of where he meant to, right on top of some poor old dear doing her shopping, remember?"**

The hall burst into laughter.

"Looking back it was sort of funny," Charlie admitted.

"Poor lady, she must've been terrified," Susan said.

"She was fine," Charlie said. "She was obliviated so she doesn't even remember."

" **Yes, well, he passed the second time," said Mrs. Weasley, marching back into the kitchen amid hearty sniggers.**

"And that's all that matters," Arthur said in his sons defense.

Charlie turned red and glared at the twins who were sniggering.

" **Percy only passed two weeks ago," said George. "He's been Apparating downstairs every morning since, just to prove he can."**

"Oh, don't act like you two didn't do the same thing all summer," Bill said sounding amused.

"Everyone does," Sirius said. "Or at least everyone I know did."

"I did," Charlie said. "I was so excited to finally get my apparition license."

**There were footsteps down the passageway and Hermione and Ginny came into the kitchen, both looking pale and drowsy.**

"It was way too early to be up," Ginny said.

" **Why do we have to be up so early?" Ginny said, rubbing her eyes and sitting down at the table.**

"If I had got to go to the cup I wouldn't have minded getting up early," a seventh year Hufflepuff quidditch fan said.

" **We've got a bit of a walk," said Mr. Weasley.**

" **Walk?" said Harry. "What, are we walking to the World Cup?"**

A couple of people looked at Harry with raised eyebrows.

Daphne could tell Harry was getting annoyed. "He already told you multiple times," Daphne said loudly, "he was raised by muggles."

"Thanks," Harry whispered to Daphne once everyone stopped looking at him.

"Of course," Daphne whispered back.

" **No, no, that's miles away," said Mr. Weasley, smiling. "We only need to walk a short way.**

Ron snorted and muttered under his breath, "You call that short."

**It's just that it's very difficult for a large number of wizards to congregate without attracting Muggle attention. We have to be very careful about how we travel at the best of times,**

Amelia nodded, the obliviation squads were always being dispatched to erase muggles memories of apparitions.

"Which is why people should never apparate straight into a muggle area," Rufus said in a serious tone.

**and on a huge occasion like the Quidditch World Cup…"**

" **George!" said Mrs. Weasley sharply, and they all jumped.**

"What did you two do?" Angelina asked exasperated.

"We hadn't done anything," George said innocently.

Angelina rolled her eyes. "Maybe not, but you were most likely planning something.

George put a hand over his heart. "You wound me."

" **What?" said George, in an innocent tone that deceived nobody.**

"Your innocent tone never deceives anyone," Bill said laughing.

Molly shook her head, her twins were always up to something.

" **What is that in your pocket?"**

" **Nothing!"**

A few people snorted, everyone doubted that the twins wouldn't try to bring something they shouldn't with them.

" **Don't you lie to me!"**

Harry unconsciously rubbed the scar on the back of his hand.

**Mrs. Weasley pointed her wand at George's pocket and said, "** _**Accio!** _ **"**

Justin shook his head. _'That sucks.'_

**Several small, brightly colored objects zoomed out of George's pocket; he made a grab for them but missed, and they sped right into Mrs. Weasley's outstretched hand.**

"Bad luck," Sirius said shaking his head.

"You hid them in your pockets?" Moody barked. "You should've hidden them outside the night before and grabbed them on your way out."

"Alastor!" Molly and McGonagall yelled.

"That's a good idea," George said grinning.

"Thanks Mad-Eye," Fred said with a wink towards the ex-auror.

"Don't tell my sons how to get away with hiding things from me!" Molly exclaimed angrily.

Moody shrugged before taking a sip from his hip flask.

The students were trying to cover up snickers at the exchange.

" **We told you to destroy them!" said Mrs. Weasley furiously, holding up what were unmistakably more Ton-Tongue Toffees. "We told you to get rid of the lot! Empty your pockets, go on, both of you!"**

"You guys aren't going to hand them all over are you?" Alicia asked in a resigned voice.

"Of course they aren't," Ron said.

**It was an unpleasant scene; the twins had evidently been trying to smuggle as many toffees out of the house as possible,**

"Of course they were," Alicia chuckled.

The twins grinned unashamed.

**and it was only by using her Summoning Charm that Mrs. Weasley managed find them all.**

"That sucks," Dean said. "Better luck next time."

" _ **Accio! Accio! Accio!**_ **" she shouted, and toffees zoomed from all sorts of unlikely places, including the lining of George's jacket and the turn-ups of Fred's jeans.**

"Interesting hiding places," Bill said as he tried not to laugh.

"Creative," Charlie told his twin brothers.

" **We spent six months developing those!" Fred shouted at his mother as she threw the toffees away.**

"That's a long time," Alicia said.

"We wanted them to be perfect," Fred told her.

" **Oh a fine way to spend six months!" she shrieked.**

"To them it is," Charlie pointed out.

Molly pursed her lips, she really was going to try to see her sons' side of things but she didn't think she'd ever approve of their dream of opening a joke shop. There just wasn't any profit or future in owning a joke shop and she didn't want them to struggle.

**"No wonder you didn't get more O.W.L.s!"**

The twins took on stony expressions. They didn't see the need for OWLs or NEWTs really, owning a joke shop didn't have any requirements in those areas.

**All in all, the atmosphere was not very friendly as they took their departure.**

"That's an understatement," Ron said under his breath.

**Mrs. Weasley was still glowering as she kissed Mr. Weasley on the cheek, though not nearly as much as the twins, who had each hoisted their rucksacks onto their backs and walked out without a word to her.**

"You two must've been mad," Angelina said.

"She threw out all of our toffees," George reminded her.

"We spent six months creating and perfecting them," Fred said.

"We put a lot of time and effort into them," George added.

"Of course we were mad." The twins finished.

" **Well, have a lovely time," said Mrs. Weasley, "and behave yourselves," she called after the twins' retreating backs,**

Snape sneered. He couldn't see why she bothered; those two were always menaces no matter what.

**but they did not look back or answer. "I'll send Bill, Charlie, and Percy along around midday,"**

"They should've had to come when we did," Ron muttered. He was still annoyed by the fact that they had to get up before the sun.

**Mrs. Weasley said to Mr. Weasley, as he, Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny set off across the dark yard after Fred and George.**

**It was chilly and the moon was still out.**

"Way too early to be up," Justin groaned.

"I'm sure they'll be fine," Susan said. "It's not that bad."

Justin looked at her as though she was mental causing Susan to roll her eyes.

"Boys," she muttered.

**Only a dull, greenish tinge along the horizon to their right showed that daybreak was drawing closer.**

Ron muttered something unintelligible under his breath.

Hermione however caught a few of his more colorful words and glared at him.

**Harry, having been thinking about thousands of wizards speeding toward the Quidditch World Cup, sped up to walk with Mr. Weasley.**

" **So how** _ **does**_ **everyone get there without all the Muggles noticing?" he asked.**

"It has to be carefully planned," Percy answered in a monotonous voice. "It wouldn't be good for thousands of wizards to suddenly just apparate to the same location."

"But it would be hilarious," Fred snickered to his twin.

" **It's been a massive organizational problem," sighed Mr. Weasley.**

"That's an understatement," Rufus said as he recalled the huge amount of work the World Cup was for the ministry.

"People worked over time for months," Kingsley said, he remembers a lot of people coming in to work tired.

**"The trouble is, about a hundred thousand wizards turn up at the World Cup, and of course, we just haven't got a magical site big enough to accommodate them all.**

"Just find a large empty plot of field," Justin suggested.

"The problem is there's no empty plot large enough in the wizarding world," Arthur said. "Which is why the World Cups are always held in the muggle world surrounded by layers of muggle repellent charms and other things to keep them away."

"But there were muggles there," Seamus said frowning.

Harry grimaced as he remembered the muggle and his family being thrown about like rag dolls by death eaters.

"Mr. Roberts, that's the muggle handing out tickets, was already there with his family," Arthur explained. "So it didn't affect them like it would other muggles."

**There are places Muggles can't penetrate, but imagine trying to pack a hundred thousand wizards into Diagon Alley or platform nine and three-quarters.**

"That wouldn't work." Several people said at once.

"Could you imagine trying to play quidditch at a train station?" Fred asked amusedly.

Oliver looked horrified at the idea of holding the Quidditch World Cup at a train station.

**So we had to find a nice deserted moor, and set up as many anti-Muggle precautions as possible.**

"That does seem like the easiest way," Anthony said.

**The whole Ministry's been working on it for months.**

The ministry officials nodded, that had been a long several months.

 _'Quidditch, what a waste of time when the ministry could've been doing something important.'_ Umbridge thought with a disdainful sniff.

"Thankfully the Quidditch World Cup will be somewhere else next time," Rufus said.

**First, of course, we have to stagger the arrivals. People with cheaper tickets have to arrive two weeks beforehand.**

"Seriously?" Justin asked incredulously.

"Yes," Arthur answered.

"I'm glad my parents didn't buy cheap tickets," Montague said.

The Slytherins who had attended the cup nodded in agreement.

"You think a person would be happy to go no matter how long they had to wait," Susan said with a look towards the Slytherins.

**A limited number use Muggle transport,**

Draco sneered; you would never find a Malfoy using muggle transportation.

Up at the staff table Lucius was sneering as well.

**but we can't have too many clogging up their buses and trains -**

"Can you imagine a bunch of muggle buses being filled up with wizards in cloaks?" Dean asked as he chuckled at the image.

"They would probably react how Harry's uncle did when he saw all the wizards in cloaks in the first book," Seamus said as he too chuckled. "They'd think there was some sort of convention going on."

**remember, wizards are coming from all over the world. Some Apparate, of course, but we have to set up safe points for them to appear, well away from Muggles. I believe there's a handy wood they're using as the Apparition point.**

"That's convenient," Terry said offhandedly.

"It is," Arthur said. "Could you imagine if everyone was just to apparate at random? We'd have people apparating on top of others, it wouldn't be good."

**For those who don't want to Apparate, or can't, we use Portkeys.**

"Portkeys seem like they'd be the easiest thing to use in that situation," Lily said.

"They are," Arthur said with a small smile at the Slytherin girl.

**They're objects that are used to transport wizards from one spot to another at a prearranged time.**

_'Or when you touch it.'_ Harry thought bitterly.

**You can do large groups at a time if you need to. There have been two hundred Portkeys placed at strategic points around Britain,**

"That's a lot of portkeys," Justin said with a low whistle.

"What if someone picked one up?" Hannah asked.

"I'm sure I'll explain in the book," Arthur said kindly.

**and the nearest one to us is up at the top of Stoatshead Hill, so that's where we're headed."**

**Mr. Weasley pointed ahead of them, where a large black mass rose beyond the village of Ottery St. Catchpole.**

" **What sort of objects are Portkeys?" said Harry curiously.**

"They can be anything," Vaisey said from his spot at the Slytherin table.

"Usually something unobtrusive," Terence Higgs said.

" **Well, they can be anything," said Mr. Weasley. "Unobtrusive things, obviously, so Muggles don't go picking them up and playing with them… stuff they'll just think is litter…"**

"That makes sense," Hannah said nodding.

"Sort of," Hermione said as a frown slowly made its way onto her face. "But a homeless person could accidently pick one up or someone just coming to clean up."

"That's true," Arthur said frowning.

"That's what the muggle obliviation squad is for," Rufus said.

**They trudged down the dark, dank lane toward the village, the silence broken only by their footsteps.**

"Everyone was too tired to talk," Hermione said in remembrance.

**The sky lightened very slowly as they made their way through the village, its inky blackness diluting to deepest blue.**

Luna smiled dreamily. "It sounds beautiful."

**Harry's hands and feet were freezing.**

"It was really cold that morning," Hermione said to no one in particular.

**Mr. Weasley kept checking his watch.**

**They didn't have breath to spare for talking as they began to climb Stoatshead Hill, stumbling occasionally in hidden rabbit holes, slipping on thick black tuffets of grass.**

"That hill was hell," Ron muttered.

The twins snickered as they recalled Ron tripping almost every five feet.

Ron who had guessed what the twins were snickering at glared at them.

**Each breath Harry took was sharp in his chest and his legs were starting to seize up when, at last, his feet found level ground.**

"At least you didn't fall every five feet," Fred snickered.

"Shut up," Ron hissed.

" **Whew," panted Mr. Weasley, taking off his glasses and wiping them on his sweater. "Well, we've made good time - we've got ten minutes."**

**Hermione came over the crest of the hill last, clutching a stitch in her side.**

"Out of shape Hermione?" George asked teasingly.

"Oh, like you looked much better," Hermione said with a knowing look towards the twins.

The twins scowled while Ron snickered.

" **Now we just need the Portkey," said Mr. Weasley, replacing his glasses and squinting around at the ground. "It won't be big… Come on…"**

"If you're on a grassy hill it should be easy to find," Padma said.

**They spread out, searching. They had only been at it for a couple of minutes, however, when a shout rent the still air.**

" **Over here, Arthur! Over here, son, we've got it."**

Harry sighed; Cedric would finally be mentioned in this book. He knew that Cedric would probably be mentioned a lot.

"Who's that?" Daphne inquired.

"Amos Diggory," Harry said quietly.

"Oh," Daphne murmured.

**Two tall figures were silhouetted against the starry sky on the other side of the hilltop.**

" **Amos!" said Mr. Weasley, smiling as he strode over to the man who had shouted. The rest of them followed.**

Amelia closed her eyes; Amos hadn't been the same since his son died. She opened her eyes and looked towards the Hufflepuff table; she wouldn't be the same if something happened to Susan. She still wasn't over the people she lost in the first war. Her hope was that she could keep Susan safe during this one.

**Mr. Weasley was shaking hands with a ruddy-faced wizard with a scrubby brown beard, who was holding a moldy-looking old boot in his other hand.**

Several of the girls wrinkled their noses in disgust.

"That was the portkey?" A disgusted Lavender asked.

"Yes," Hermione answered as she tried to keep from rolling her eyes.

" **This is Amos Diggory, everyone," said Mr. Weasley. "He works for the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. And I think you know his son, Cedric?"**

Harry's stomach dropped at the first mention of Cedric by name.

Daphne grabbed Harry's hand in silent support.

There was a moment of silence for Cedric; no one really knew what to say.

There were a few sniffs from the Hufflepuff table and from Cho.

Professor Sprout looked down sadly as she thought of her late Badger.

Once the sniffling stopped the reading resumed.

**Cedric Diggory was an extremely handsome boy of around seventeen. He was Captain and Seeker of the Hufflepuff House Quidditch team at Hogwarts.**

Marietta grabbed Cho's hand comfortingly. "It'll be okay," Marietta whispered to her.

Daphne squeezed Harry's hand and he squeezed back tightly.

Harry's mind wandered back to the first game of his third year. Cedric had asked for a rematch because of the dementors, most people wouldn't have done that. He had been a good person from the beginning until the end.

" **Hi," said Cedric, looking around at them all. Everybody said hi back except Fred and George, who merely nodded. They had never quite forgiven Cedric for beating their team, Gryffindor, in the first Quidditch match of the previous year.**

"We eventually forgave him," George said sadly.

"It wasn't his fault," Fred said looking at the table in front of him. "He did ask for a replay after all."

"He was always fair," George added.

" **Long walk, Arthur?" Cedric's father asked.**

" **Not too bad," said Mr. Weasley. "We live just on the other side of the village there. You?"**

" **Had to get up at two, didn't we, Ced?**

"Now that's ridiculous," Sally-Anne said shaking her head.

"I don't think it'd be possible to get me up that early," Justin said.

**I tell you, I'll be glad when he's got his Apparition test.**

Harry suppressed a flinch; Cedric would never be able to take his apparition test.

**Still… not complaining… Quidditch World Cup, wouldn't miss it for a sackful of Galleons -**

"Me either," Ron said grinning.

**and the tickets cost about that. Mind you, looks like I got off easy…" Amos Diggory peered good-naturedly around at the three Weasley boys, Harry, Hermione, and Ginny. "All these yours, Arthur?"**

A few people wanted to make snide remarks but they held them in out of respect for Cedric.

Several Slytherins however rolled their eyes.

" **Oh no, only the redheads," said Mr. Weasley, pointing out his children.**

A few people snorted and Mr. Weasley blushed.

**"This is Hermione, friend of Ron's - and Harry, another friend -"**

" **Merlin's beard," said Amos Diggory, his eyes widening. "Harry? Harry** _ **Potter**_ **?"**

Harry groaned, "Here we go again."

" **Er - yeah," said Harry.**

**Harry was used to people looking curiously at him when they met him, used to the way their eyes moved at once to the lightning scar on his forehead, but it always made him feel uncomfortable.**

"Bloody annoying," Harry muttered.

Almost everyone looked slightly guilty; they had all done that at least once before.

"You didn't look at my scar when we first met," Harry said quietly to Daphne.

"We may not have talked before recently but I do share classes with you," Daphne said just as quietly. "I know who you are, there's no point in looking at your scar. I didn't think you'd appreciate me making you feel like a zoo animal."

Harry gave her a smile. "Thank you." He leaned down and gave her a quick kiss.

" **Ced's talked about you, of course," said Amos Diggory. "Told us all about playing against you last year… I said to him, I said - Ced, that'll be something to tell your grandchildren, that will…** _ **You beat Harry Potter**_ **!"**

There were groans around the hall.

"There were dementors," Ron said in his best friend defense.

"It's fine Ron," Harry sighed. He had been annoyed with Amos Diggory but he couldn't be annoyed with him anymore, not after what happened to Cedric.

**Harry couldn't think of any reply to this, so he remained silent.**

"More like trying to control the famous Evans temper," Sirius said amusedly.

"Something like that," Harry muttered.

**Fred and George were both scowling again.**

"They wouldn't have won if it hadn't been for the dementors storming the pitch," Fred muttered annoyed.

**Cedric looked slightly embarrassed.**

"I don't blame him," Susan sighed. "I would've been too."

" **Harry fell off his broom, Dad," he muttered. "I told you… it was an accident…"**

"He sounds like a good kid," Sirius said sadly.

"He was," Harry told him.

"It's always the innocent who die first," Luna said in her usual mystic voice.

Harry flinched slightly at her words, she was right.

Daphne who had felt him flinch started to once more rub comforting circles on his hand.

" **Yes, but** _ **you**_ **didn't fall off, did you?" roared Amos genially, slapping his son on his back.**

Amelia shook her head; Amos had always been a show off.

Several of the Gryffindors scowled at the book and a few were biting their tongues from saying something.

**"Always modest, our Ced, always the gentleman… but the best man won, I'm sure Harry'd say the same, wouldn't you, eh?**

Now a few people were glaring at the book.

**One falls off his broom, one stays on, you don't need to be a genius to tell which one's the better flier!"**

"Harry's only ever lost one match," Oliver said in defense of his old seeker.

"He was just proud of his son," Harry said shaking his head. "It's fine Oliver." _'I wish I had a parent to be proud of me.'_ He looked at Sirius and Remus then Molly and Arthur and he smiled a sad sort of smile. _'At least I have adults who care about me like a parent would, not everyone has that.'_

" **Must be nearly time," said Mr. Weasley quickly, pulling out his watch again. "Do you know whether we're waiting for any more, Amos?"**

"Good subject change dad," Bill said.

"I didn't want there to be an argument on what was meant to be a fun day," Arthur said.

" **No, the Lovegoods have been there for a week already**

Luna smiled; her father and she had a good time that week.

**and the Fawcetts couldn't get tickets," said Mr. Diggory.**

Fawcett frowned; she had really wanted to go to the World Cup.

**"There aren't any more of us in this area, are there?"**

" **Not that I know of," said Mr. Weasley. "Yes, it's a minute off… We'd better get ready…"**

**He looked around at Harry and Hermione. "You just need to touch the Portkey, that's all, a finger will do -"**

"I wouldn't want to touch that," Lavender said wrinkling her nose.

"It was the only way for us to get there," Hermione said rolling her eyes.

**With difficulty, owing to their bulky backpacks, the nine of them crowded around the old boot held out by Amos Diggory. They all stood there, in a tight circle, as a chill breeze swept over the hilltop.**

A few people snickered at the image of nine people all holding onto a moldy old boot.

"That must've been a sight," Justin chuckled.

**Nobody spoke. It suddenly occurred to Harry how odd this would look if a Muggle were to walk up here now… nine people, two of them grown men, clutching this manky old boot in the semidarkness, waiting…**

"It would look very strange," Hermione said sounding amused.

" **Three…" muttered Mr. Weasley, one eye still on his watch, 'two… one…"**

**It happened immediately: Harry felt as though a hook just behind his navel had been suddenly jerked irresistibly forward.**

Harry flinched again; this book was going to keep reminding him of that night he just knew it.

**His feet left the ground; he could feel Ron and Hermione on either side of him, their shoulders banging into his; they were all speeding forward in a howl of wind and swirling color;**

Harry closed his eyes; he could see flashes from that night before his eyes. Cedric helping him towards the cup; being pulled into a howl of wind; landing in the graveyard and Cedric falling under a flash of green light. His eyes snapped open. _'It's in the past, I can't change it. Don't think about it.'_

Daphne, Hermione and Ron were sending him worried looks.

**his forefinger was stuck to the boot as though it was pulling him magnetically onward and then - His feet slammed into the ground; Ron staggered into him and he fell over; the Portkey hit the ground near his head with a heavy thud.**

"I hate portkeys," Harry muttered.

**Harry looked up. Mr. Weasley, Mr. Diggory, and Cedric were still standing, though looking very windswept; everybody else was on the ground.**

"It takes practice," Arthur said, answering the curious looks and unasked questions. "After a while you get used to it and you can land on your feet."

" **Seven past five from Stoatshead Hill," said a voice.**

"That's the end of the chapter," Tracey said as she closed the book.

Dumbledore stood up. "It's now time for lunch." Ron perked up and the twins sniggered. "We will resume reading once everyone is done." With a clap of his hands food appeared on all five tables.

Ron immediately began filling his plate with an assortment of different sandwiches from turkey and swiss to bologna and monterey jack.

"Does he always eat like that?" Daphne asked Harry quietly, she sounded slightly amused.

Harry looked at Ron who was shoving a sandwich into his mouth like he hadn't eaten in weeks. "Yes."

"So Daphne, what are your plans for the winter holidays?" Hermione asked trying to make conversation.

Daphne looked up from her plate of salad. "I'm not sure yet, I'll either go home and spend it with my family." She glanced briefly at Harry. "I'm not quite sure yet. What will you be doing?"

"I'm going skiing with my parents," Hermione said, she didn't sound very excited.

"What's that?" Daphne asked looking slightly confused.

Hermione spent the next five minutes explaining what Skiing was.

"It sounds like fun," Daphne said.

"It's okay," Hermione said with a shrug. "It's not really my thing, I prefer to be indoors."

"Ron," Daphne said getting the red head's attention.

Ron looked up, his hand holding another sandwich frozen in front of his mouth. "Yeah?" He asked looking slightly unsure.

"What are your plans for the upcoming holidays?" Daphne asked.

"I'm going home with my family," Ron answered before going back to his food.

"Honestly Ronald," Hermione said exasperated. "You can go five seconds without eating."

"What?" Ron said looking bewildered. "It's lunch."

Hermione rolled her eyes and muttered something about 'boys' under her breath.

"Your friends aren't mad that you're sitting over here?" Dean asked from across the table.

Daphne looked up and smiled. "No, some of my house mates probably are but my friends don't mind."

A few of the Gryffindors looked over at the Slytherin table. Pansy Parkinson was glaring daggers at Daphne while Tracey was looking at her with a hopeful look on her face.

"Parkinson doesn't look too happy," Seamus said joining the conversation.

"She's never liked me," Daphne said nonchalantly. "But I've never liked her either so it doesn't matter to me."

"You aren't one of Malfoy's little followers then?" Seamus asked.

"Seamus," Hermione hissed.

Harry gave Seamus a hard look and Daphne looked taken aback.

Ron stopped eating and looked between Harry and Seamus with a wary look.

Seamus realized he said something wrong and put up his hands. "I didn't mean it like that," he said quickly, "I just meant that most of the Slytherins seem to follow Malfoy's lead."

Daphne shook her head. "That's Parkinson, Crabbe and Goyle." Daphne glanced at her friends at the Slytherin. "Most of us Slytherins aren't that bad; we just have a bad reputation because the outspoken ones tend to be like Malfoy. Most of the Slytherins aren't junior death eaters they're neutral but all anyone sees is future Dark Lords or Dark Lord followers. If people were to give us a chance they'd see we're just like them. We have friends, families, problems and bad days just like everyone else. We just tend to keep to ourselves because the other houses have preconceived notions about us."

The Gryffindors who heard her shifted slightly in their seats. It was true, they all did think Slytherins were dark and evil before they even started at Hogwarts.

The Weasley twins and Ron looked uncomfortable; they had always considered Slytherins to be dark.

"That's true," Hermione said with a frown. "Because of what Hagrid said and the way Draco behaved Harry thought that all Slytherins were bad. It wasn't until recently that he started to think differently."

"We really should change that," Harry said as he looked at Daphne then back at his friends. "Just because some of the Slytherins are bad doesn't mean they all are. We could've missed out on friendships and relationships because of our prejudices."

"The sorting hat did say the houses needed to unite," Dean said as he thought back to the beginning of the school year.

"Did it?" Seamus asked wrinkling his brows.

"And we must unite inside her or we'll crumble from within," Hermione said.

"What?" Seamus asked looking thoroughly confused.

"That's what the sorting hat said," Hermione reminded him.

"Oh," Seamus said.

"How in Merlin's name did you remember that?" Ron asked incredulously.

Hermione blushed pink. "I don't know, I just remember things."

"You have an amazing memory," Daphne told the Gryffindor.

Hermione's cheeks darkened further. "Thank you." Hermione cleared her throat. "It really is ridiculous though, after all people aren't born evil. Just because someone's father is a death eater doesn't make them one."

Daphne nodded, knowing that Theodore Nott's father was a death eater but that Theo didn't want to be one.

"Maybe we can change things," Daphne said to Hermione.

Hermione smiled. "We can try."

Harry smiled as he looked between his girlfriend and his best friend, he was glad they seemed to be getting along so well.

Bill was watching his brother and his friends talk as he ate his beef sandwich. He smiled slightly as they talked about trying to be friends with the Slytherins. He had never bought into the prejudice that all Slytherins are dark; in his opinion people weren't born dark. It was nurture versus nature and he was a firm believer that nurture dictated how a person turned out. You weren't born evil you became that way by those you surrounded yourself with and the choices you made.

"Are the houses that big of a deal?" Fleur asked her boyfriend quietly.

Bill was pulled from his thoughts; he turned to look at his girlfriend. "Yeah, you didn't notice it when you were here last year?"

Fleur shook her head, her blonde hair swinging back and forth. "No, I didn't spend much time with the Hogwarts students."

"Well what you've heard in the books is the least of it," Bill told her. "The houses are divided especially Gryffindor and Slytherin. Those two houses haven't gotten along for as long as anyone can remember. Everyone not just the Gryffindors think the Slytherins are evil and the Slytherins think the Gryffindors are reckless idiots. They fight all the time and they play dirty in quidditch. You heard about the matches." Fleur nodded her head. "The other two houses aren't as bad as Gryffindor and Slytherin but they still buy into the prejudices."

"That's silly," Fleur said with a frown.

"That it is," Bill said as he picked his sandwich up.

"Daphne and Harry seem to be getting along well," Tracey said as she watched her best friend from her seat at the Slytherin table.

"It looks like she's getting along with his friends as well," Lily pointed out when Daphne leaned over Harry to talk to Hermione.

"I'm glad," Tracey said. "Daphne needs someone like him."

"What do you think her parents are going to say?" Lily asked as she poured herself a glass of ice cold pumpkin juice.

"Her mom won't mind," Blaise said injecting himself into the conversation, "but Mr. Greengrass might have a problem with it."

"Daddy will come around," Astoria said as she pushed her plate away from herself.

"You think so?" Blaise asked raising an eyebrow.

Astoria hesitantly nodded her head. "He wants us to be happy..." She trailed off with a look at the Gryffindor table.

"But Harry's the Boy Who Lived," Tracey said guessing what she was going to say.

Astoria nodded. "It will worry him."

"He would have a right to be worried," Blaise said, he shrugged when Tracey glared at him. "It's true and you know it. Once these books are done the ministry will have to admit that the Dark Lord is back and when it does everyone will know who he's after. Any parent would be worried about their daughter dating him; it'll make her a prime target."

Astoria's eyes widened.

"Blaise," Tracey hissed as she inclined her head towards the worried looking Astoria.

"Daphne will be fine," Lily said soothingly.

Astoria nodded but she still looked slightly worried. _'What if You-Know-Who goes after Daphne?'_

Pansy was glaring at Blaise, Tracey, Lily and Astoria as she stabbed her salad with a fork. _'How can they be so blasé about Greengrass dating a Gryffindor and bloody Potter of all people? They should be convincing her not to date him.'_ She switched her glare to Daphne. _'But then again it is Greengrass; she doesn't deserve a proper pureblood husband.'_

Draco was looking at Harry and Daphne as they talked to Harry's fellow Gryffindors. He didn't understand how those two got together, it didn't make any sense. His gaze shifted to the staff table where his parents were sitting. His father was in a whispered conversation with Snape and his mother was looking anywhere but in the direction of Andromeda and Sirius. He knew that his mother missed her 'light' family no matter how much she told him and his father she didn't. He had walked in on her looking at an old childhood photo album and crying one day during the past summer.

Draco's mind was a mixture of thoughts and he was feeling a varying degree of emotions. He couldn't help the snide comments he had been making during these readings but they were half hearted and they didn't make him feel triumphant like they once had. He wanted so badly to hate Harry Potter but he couldn't suppress the part of him that wanted to be his friend. With his father as a death eater however it would be hard to be friends with the Boy-Who-Lived. It was much easier to be mean to him than to try and change from how he'd treated him. But this book was about their fourth year, it could reveal that his father was a death eater and if that happened his dad would be going to Azkaban. Draco shook his head, he didn't know what to think or do anymore.

Half an hour after lunch had begun Dumbledore stood up. "Now that everyone is finished eating we can continue reading about Mr. Potter's fourth year. Who would like to read next?"

"I will," Anthony said from the Ravenclaw table.

"Thank you Mr. Goldstein," Dumbledore said as he sat back down.

Anthony levitated the book from the Slytherin table and opened it to the correct page.


	8. Bagman and Crouch

**"Bagman and Crouch,"** Anthony read.

The twins scowled at the mention of Bagman while Sirius growled at the mention of Crouch.

"Bagman? As in Ludo Bagman?" Oliver asked excitedly.

"Yes," Harry answered his old quidditch captain.

**Harry disentangled himself from Ron and got to his feet.**

"That had been an awkward landing," Ron said as he rubbed his lower back.

**They had arrived on what appeared to be a deserted stretch of misty moor. In front of them was a pair of tired and grumpy-looking wizards,**

"I would be grumpy to at that hour of the day," Justin muttered.

"I wonder if they're dressed properly," Megan mused.

Wayne snorted. "Probably not."

**one of whom was holding a large gold watch, the other a thick roll of parchment and a quill. Both were dressed as Muggles, though very inexpertly:**

Hermione and Harry exchanged amused looks as they recalled what some of the wizards wore to the World Cup.

"It's not that difficult to dress like a muggle," Justin said rolling his eyes.

"For purebloods it is," Ernie said.

"How?" Justin asked. "If you walk into muggle London than you've seen how muggles dress."

"A lot of wizards, mostly purebloods don't go into muggle London," Ernie pointed out.

"Isn't the Ministry of Magic in muggle London," Justin asked, Susan had told him that the ministry was there.

"Yeah," Ernie said. "But most people apparate or floo to work."

"Still," Justin said stubbornly. "It shouldn't be that difficult."

The other muggleborns and most of the half-bloods nodded in agreement.

Lucius wore a superior sneer on his face; he would never degrade himself by wearing muggle clothes.

**The man with the watch wore a tweed suit with thigh-length galoshes;**

The muggleborns and half-bloods laughed.

Justin choked on his laughter.

"Is that not right?" Harper asked one of his fellow Slytherins.

"I guess not," Graham Pritchard said.

**his colleague, a kilt and a poncho.**

The laughter amongst those who knew what muggles really dressed like increased. Even the purebloods who knew how muggles really dressed were laughing.

"Isn't that how muggles dressed?" Arthur asked with knitted brows.

"Some muggles wear ponchos and Scottish people do wear quilts," Hermione said, she was trying not to show her amusement. "But most people wouldn't think to wear them together."

"No one with fashion sense anyways," Lavender whispered to Parvati.

" **Morning, Basil," said Mr. Weasley, picking up the boot and handing it to the kilted wizard, who threw it into a large box of used Portkeys beside him; Harry could see an old newspaper, an empty drinks can, and a punctured football.**

"Portkeys are really made from anything," Owen Cauldwell said.

"An old newspaper seems much more sanitary than an old mangy boot," Rose said wrinkling her nose.

"Who cares what they had to use for a portkey as long as they get to see the Quidditch World Cup," Owen said with longing. "I would've held on to a toilet seat if it meant I could've gone to the World Cup."

Rose tinged green at the thought.

" **Hello there, Arthur," said Basil wearily. "Not on duty, eh? It's all right for some… We've been here all night…**

"That would suck," Eddie Carmichael said seriously.

"And I thought getting up before the sun was out was bad," Chambers muttered.

**You'd better get out of the way, we've got a big party coming in from the Black Forest at five fifteen.**

"That would be a horrible job," Owen said.

"It would," Cadwallader agreed, "but someone had to do it."

**Hang on, I'll find your campsite… Weasley… Weasley…" He consulted his parchment list. "About a quarter of a mile's walk over there,**

"More walking?" Kevin Whitby said. "That's way too much walking that early."

**first field you come to. Site manager's called Mr. Roberts. Diggory… second field… ask for Mr. Payne."**

" **Thanks, Basil," said Mr. Weasley, and he beckoned everyone to follow him. They set off across the deserted moor, unable to make out much through the mist.**

"Sounds like a lovely morning," Lavender said sarcastically.

"Too much mist always ruins my hair," Parvati complained.

Hermione rolled her eyes at her two dorm mates.

**After about twenty minutes, a small stone cottage next to a gate swam into view. Beyond it, Harry could just make out the ghostly shapes of hundreds and hundreds of tents, rising up the gentle slope of a large field toward a dark wood on the horizon.**

Kenneth let out a low whistle. "That's a lot of tents."

"Well Mr. Weasley did say the Quidditch arena held one hundred thousand people," Patricia said. "Of course there would be a lot of tents."

**They said good-bye to the Diggorys and approached the cottage door.**

Harry was grateful that the Diggory's hadn't been camping next to them; he didn't want to hear about Cedric. He knew that listening to Cedric's past actions was inevitable since this book was about his fourth year but he wasn't looking forward to it at all. He still blamed himself slightly for Cedric's death and listening about how Cedric was once so carefree wasn't easy.

**A man was standing in the doorway, looking out at the tents. Harry knew at a glance that this was the only real Muggle for several acres.**

"He was the only one who was dressed like a normal muggle," Harry answered the questioning looks.

"Although you were close Mr. Weasley," Hermione said kindly when she noticed Arthur's face.

**When he heard their footsteps, he turned his head to look at them.**

" **Morning!" said Mr. Weasley brightly.**

"Always so cheerful in the morning dad," Bill said shaking his head fondly.

Arthur grinned; he always tried to see the positive in situations. They had to be up extremely early and walk a lot but they got to see the Quidditch World Cup, and they had the best seats there. In his opinion getting up early and having sore feet was nothing to complain about.

" **Morning," said the Muggle.**

" **Would you be Mr. Roberts?"**

"Obviously," a seventh year Slytherin said rolling his eyes.

The Weasley children glared at the Slytherin who either didn't care or didn't notice.

" **Aye, I would," said Mr. Roberts. "And who're you?"**

Fred and George went to open their mouths but Alicia spoke before they could say anything.

"Don't even think of saying anything you two," Alicia said sternly.

The twins promptly shut their mouths.

" **Weasley - two tents, booked a couple of days ago?"**

"All of them are going to fit into two tents?" A muggleborn first year asked her neighbor.

"I guess," her friend said with a shrug, she didn't see how they could but they'd find out soon.

" **Aye," said Mr. Roberts, consulting a list tacked to the door. "You've got a space up by the wood there. Just the one night?"**

"What would've happened if the game would've lasted for more than one night?" Dennis asked, his eyes shining with curiosity.

"The ministry would've made the muggles think everyone booked more than one night," Arthur answered promptly.

"How?" Dennis asked.

"Most likely by confunding them," Arthur told him.

" **That's it," said Mr. Weasley.**

" **You'll be paying now, then?" said Mr. Roberts.**

"It would've been interesting to see dad try to pay with muggle currency," Bill said quietly to his brother.

"It would've been more than interesting," Charlie said quietly with a grin, "it would've been hilarious."

" **Ah - right - certainly -" said Mr. Weasley. He retreated a short distance from the cottage and beckoned Harry toward him. "Help me, Harry," he muttered,**

Harry smiled fondly; he found Mr. Weasley's love of muggle things amusing. He reminded Harry of a him when he had first entered the wizarding world.

**pulling a roll of Muggle money from his pocket and starting to peel the notes apart. "This one's a - a - a ten? Ah yes, I see the little number on it now…**

"I bet you were having the time of your life," Andromeda said with a kind smile. She had known the Weasley's from the first war and they had seen each other a few times over the years, Arthur had always been fascinated by everything muggle.

"Oh, I was," Arthur said enthusiastically.

Some people sent Arthur fond looks while Lucius and several of the Slytherins sneered in disgust.

**So this is a five?"**

"Muggle money is much easier to use than wizarding money," Justin said, galleons, sickles and knuts had always confused him.

"No it isn't." Several purebloods who had seen muggle money said.

"Actually it is," Justin said. "Muggle money has the value on the note, you don't have to worry about trying to figure out how many sickles are to a galleon."

"They're both rather simple," Terry said with a shrug.

"For you," Bill said joining the conversation. "I've seen plenty of people confused by wizarding currency and a lot of people bewildered and hopeless with muggle money."

"It just depends on the person," Susan said, she didn't want everyone to start fighting over what form of money was the easiest.

" **A twenty," Harry corrected him in an undertone, uncomfortably aware of Mr. Roberts trying to catch every word.**

"Nosy," Ron said.

A few people snorted. After everything everyone had read so far about the trio, any one of them would be a hypocrite to call anyone else nosy.

" **Ah yes, so it is… I don't know, these little bits of paper…"**

"They're not that hard to understand," a seventh year muggleborn Hufflepuff muttered.

" **You foreign?" said Mr. Roberts as Mr. Weasley returned with the correct notes.**

A few muggleborns snickered.

" **Foreign?" repeated Mr. Weasley, puzzled.**

"If I didn't know you I would've thought you were foreign," Hermione said.

Molly patted her husband's hand when he blushed.

" **You're not the first one who's had trouble with money," said Mr. Roberts, scrutinizing Mr. Weasley closely.**

"Purebloods wouldn't know about muggle money," Cho said.

"Some do," Terry said indignantly. "I'm a pureblood and I know how to use muggle money."

"Okay, some do but a lot of them wouldn't," Cho corrected.

"I highly doubt everyone at the Quidditch World Cup is a pureblood," Anthony said. "But most people who live in the wizarding world whether or not they're pureblood usually just carry around wizarding money unless they're going out into the muggle world."

**"I had two try and pay me with great gold coins the size of hubcaps ten minutes ago."**

"Honestly," Hermione said sounding exasperated. "Everyone going knew they'd have to pay to get into the campsite with muggle money."

A few of the students who had gone to the cup and had witnessed their parents trying to pay with wizarding money blushed.

"I wonder how Malfoy's father reacted when he had to pay with muggle money," Ron snickered quietly.

"I doubt he paid at all," Harry said just as quietly while sending a glare towards Lucius. "He probably just confunded the muggle to think he paid."

" **Did you really?" said Mr. Weasley nervously.**

"People really should've known better," Amelia said shaking her head.

**Mr. Roberts rummaged around in a tin for some change.**

" **Never been this crowded," he said suddenly, looking out over the misty field again. "Hundreds of pre-bookings. People usually just turn up…"**

"That sounds about right," a muggleborn fourth year Ravenclaw said. "When my family and I go camping we just drive to the campsite without booking a spot."

" **Is that right?" said Mr. Weasley, his hand held out for his change, but Mr. Roberts didn't give it to him.**

" **Aye," he said thoughtfully. "People from all over. Loads of foreigners. And not just foreigners. Weirdos, you know?**

A few of the purebloods looked insulted.

Several of the muggleborns lips were twitching, with the way some wizards dress when trying to look like muggles they weren't surprised the muggle thought they were weirdos.

**There's a bloke walking 'round in a kilt and a poncho."**

The muggleborns and half-bloods laughed again.

" **Shouldn't he?" said Mr. Weasley anxiously.**

"If the man had no sense of fashion than yes," Lavender mumbled.

" **It's like some sort of… I dunno… like some sort of rally," said Mr. Roberts. "They all seem to know each other. Like a big party."**

"It basically was a big party," Seamus said grinning.

"A completely awesome party," Dean said with an over large grin.

**At that moment, a wizard in plus-fours appeared out of thin air next to Mr. Roberts' front door.**

The ministry workers shook their heads, people should know better than to apparate in front of muggles.

"They shouldn't do that," Susan said frowning.

"The muggle is going to be freaked out," Hannah said as she joined Susan in frowning.

" _ **Obliviate!**_ **" he said sharply, pointing his wand at Mr. Roberts.**

"I hope he doesn't get obliviated too much," Susan said worriedly.

"Why not?" A third year Hufflepuff asked.

"It's okay to get obliviated a few times, but to get obliviated a lot especially in the same day can damage a person's mind," Ernie answered swiftly.

"Which is why people should've been more careful," Amelia said, she didn't look happy.

**Instantly, Mr. Roberts' eyes slid out of focus, his brows unknitted, and took of dreamy unconcern fell over his face.**

Harry had to resist the urge to flinch; it reminded him a bit about the effects of the Imperius curse.

**Harry recognized the symptoms of one who had just had his memory modified.**

"The symptoms of being obliviated is one of the only things I learned from Lockhart," Harry said carelessly.

The adults frowned at the reminder of Lockhart trying to obliviate Harry and Ron.

"I still can't believe that bastard tried to obliviate you two," Sirius said angrily.

"Sirius!" Molly, Andromeda and McGonagall reprimanded.

" **A map of the campsite for you," Mr. Roberts said placidly to Mr. Weasley. "And your change."**

" **Thanks very much," said Mr. Weasley.**

**The wizard in plus-fours accompanied them toward the gate to the campsite. He looked exhausted: His chin was blue with stubble and there were deep purple shadows under his eyes.**

Amelia and Rufus both nodded absentmindedly. Many Ministry workers had been forced to work overtime due to the massive security needed at the World Cup. For months a lot of them were walking around like zombies, exhausted from not sleeping and working overtime.

**Once out of earshot of Mr. Roberts, he muttered to Mr. Weasley, "Been having a lot of trouble with him.**

"There wouldn't be if people wouldn't apparate in front of him," Hermione said rolling her eyes.

"And if people didn't try paying him with wizarding money," Katie added.

**Needs a Memory Charm ten times a day to keep him happy.**

Several people frowned, that wouldn't be good for him.

Harry grimaced as the image of Mr. Roberts and his family being thrown about by death eaters swam to the front of his mind. _'He's going to need another one before the nights over.'_

**And Ludo Bagman's not helping. Trotting around talking about Bludgers and Quaffles at the top of his voice,**

Moody shook his head disgustedly, the man really should know better. _'Idiot.'_

**not a worry about anti-Muggle security.**

A few people who weren't very fond of Ludo rolled their eyes.

"He's the head of a department," Ernie said. "He should know better than to talk about that stuff in front of muggles."

"Ludo has never been the brightest of people," Remus said.

Oliver looked insulted; he looked up to Ludo Bagman.

**Blimey, I'll be glad when this is over. See you later, Arthur." He Disapparated.**

" **I thought Mr. Bagman was Head of Magical Games and Sports," said Ginny, looking surprised. "He should know better than to talk about Bludgers near Muggles, shouldn't he?"**

Percy nodded his head. "He definitely should."

" **He should," said Mr. Weasley, smiling, and leading them through the gates into the campsite, "but Ludo's always been a bit… well…** _ **lax**_ **about security.**

A few people snorted.

"Understatement," Sirius muttered.

**You couldn't wish for a more enthusiastic head of the sports department though.**

"He always was a very cheerful person," Remus said. "Always smiling and bouncing around."

"He still does," Rufus said stiffly. He had never been very fond of Ludo Bagman.

**He played Quidditch for England himself, you know. And he was the best Beater the Wimbourne Wasps ever had."**

All of the Ludo Bagman fans nodded.

"He was amazing," Oliver said grinning.

**They trudged up the misty field between long rows of tents. Most looked almost ordinary;**

"As opposed to what?" A muggleborn second year asked confusedly.

**their owners had clearly tried to make them as Muggle-like as possible, but had slipped up by adding chimneys, or bell-pulls, or weather vanes.**

The muggleborns looked at the book incredulously.

"Seriously?" Justin asked slowly.

"Most wizards don't go camping," Arthur said.

"That's obvious." Several muggleborns said.

**However, here and there was a tent so obviously magical that Harry could hardly be surprised that Mr. Roberts was getting suspicious.**

"This should be interesting," Morag said. She knew that wizards couldn't help but to show off when they got together.

**Halfway up the field stood an extravagant confection of striped silk like a miniature palace,**

"Seriously?" Summers said incredulously. "Who needs a tent that large?"

**with several live peacocks tethered at the entrance.**

"That's your tent Draco," Theo said with an amused smirk.

Draco glared at his friend while everyone turned to look at either Draco or the elder Malfoy's. Lucius just looked pompously back at everyone; Narcissa just continued to look anywhere but at her estranged family members.

"Striped silk?" Justin said, he looked like he didn't know whether to laugh or look confused.

"Live peacocks?" Anthony said looking revolted.

Once the incredulous shock wore off a few people laughed.

Lucius' pompous look turned into narrowed eyes and a scowl.

**A little farther on they passed a tent that had three floors and several turrets;**

Hermione rolled her eyes, it was obviously magical.

"Why would someone need a tent with several floors?" Justin asked.

"To show off," Tonks said simply.

**and a short way beyond that was a tent that had a front garden attached, complete with birdbath, sundial, and fountain.**

"No wonder the muggle is becoming suspicious," Hannah said, "anyone would."

" **Always the same," said Mr. Weasley, smiling. "We can't resist showing off when we get together.**

"Some more than others," Dean said with a glance towards Lucius.

**Ah, here we are, look, this is us."**

**They had reached the very edge of the wood at the top of the field, and here was an empty space, with a small sign hammered into the ground that read WEEZLY.**

Anthony snorted as he read the last sentence.

"What?" Several people asked.

"They spelt Weasley, W E E Z L Y," Anthony said.

A few people snickered.

"It's not that difficult to spell," Charlie said rolling his eyes.

" **Couldn't have a better spot!" said Mr. Weasley happily. "The field is just on the other side of the wood there, we're as close as we could be."**

"It really was an excellent spot," Bill said agreeing with his father's past words.

**He hoisted his backpack from his shoulders. "Right," he said excitedly, "no magic allowed, strictly speaking, not when we're out in these numbers on Muggle land.**

"I doubt anyone actually followed that rule," Cormac pointed out.

"Just because no one else is following it doesn't mean that we should've broken the rules," Arthur said to the sixth year.

"Good," Molly said approvingly. "Set a good example for the children."

The twins, Ron and Ginny rolled their eyes.

**We'll be putting these tents up by hand!**

A few purebloods made faces at the thought of putting up a tent by hand.

"You probably enjoyed that Arthur," Kingsley said to his friend.

"Oh, I did," Arthur said cheerfully.

 _'Muggle loving fool.'_ Lucius thought scathingly.

**Shouldn't be too difficult…**

"If you've never done it before it actually can be," Justin said.

**Muggles do it all the time… Here, Harry, where do you reckon we should start?"**

"I don't think he's going to know," Stephen Cornfoot said. "I doubt his relatives had ever taken him camping."

"My aunt and uncle have never even gone camping, there's no way Dudley would be able to sleep in a tent," Harry said. "But even if they had they wouldn't have taken me."

Sirius vowed to himself to take Harry on a vacation during the upcoming summer.

**Harry had never been camping in his life; the Dursleys had never taken him on any kind of holiday,**

Even though Harry had just said the Dursley's wouldn't have taken him on vacation this sentence still made people angry.

"Bloody bastards," Ron muttered.

**preferring to leave him with Mrs. Figg, an old neighbor.**

"Much better than a vacation," Dean said sarcastically.

**However, he and Hermione worked out where most of the poles and pegs should go, and though Mr. Weasley was more of a hindrance than a help,**

Arthur blushed.

"It was fine Mr. Weasley," Harry said giving the man a smile.

"It didn't bother us," Hermione said at the same time.

**because he got thoroughly overexcited when it came to using the mallet,**

Those who knew Arthur began laughing while Lucius and Umbridge sneered.

"Only you dad," Bill said fondly.

"You're like a child on Christmas morning," Kingsley said, he found his friends love of muggle things amusing.

**they finally managed to erect a pair of shabby two-man tents.**

Draco and Lucius were wearing matching sneers.

"Those are going to hold all of you?" A muggleborn first year asked.

"Oh, yes they will," Arthur said kindly.

The muggleborns who had never seen a wizarding tent looked skeptical.

Harry was trying not to laugh at the looks on their faces, that's what he imagined that he looked when he first saw the tents.

**All of them stood back to admire their handiwork. Nobody looking at these tents would guess they belonged to wizards,**

"They looked muggle," Hermione said nodding in agreement.

**Harry thought, but the trouble was that once Bill, Charlie, and Percy arrived, they would be a party of ten. Hermione seemed to have spotted this problem too; she gave Harry a quizzical look as Mr. Weasley dropped to his hands and knees and entered the first tent.**

The muggleborns were looking even more skeptical now.

Hermione and Harry exchanged looks; they really had been naive about most things back then. How could they have forgotten about magic?

" **We'll be a bit cramped," he called, "but I think we'll all squeeze in. Come and have a look."**

Harry shook his head; he had thought Mr. Weasley had gone crazy for a moment there.

**Harry bent down, ducked under the tent flap, and felt his jaw drop.**

"What?" Several muggleborns asked.

Harry gestured towards the book.

**He had walked into what looked like an old-fashioned, three room flat, complete with bathroom and kitchen.**

"What?" Those who had never seen a wizarding tent exclaimed.

"A three room flat?" A second year Hufflepuff said incredulously.

"It has a bathroom?" Another Hufflepuff said, this time a first year.

"How is that possible?" A different first year asked.

"Magic," Harry said with a smile.

"Wicked!" Dennis said grinning.

A few purebloods rolled their eyes, it's just a tent.

"I wish muggle tents were like that," Colin said wistfully.

A pureblood Hufflepuff furrowed her brows. "What are muggle tents like?"

"A tent like the one we used would've only held three people," Hermione said. "And it would've been really small; the people would've had to lie down side by side and probably wouldn't have been able to stand up. And definitely no bathroom or kitchen. There are some larger muggle tents but even then they're only the size of a really small bedroom. They're only meant for sleeping in and keeping away from the natural elements."

A few purebloods looked shocked, that didn't sound like their tents at all.

"Wizarding tents are much cooler," Dean said. Before he found out he was a wizard he had gone on camping trips with his family, but after spending the night in Seamus' tent at the world cup he never wanted to use a muggle tent again.

**Oddly enough, it was furnished in exactly the same sort of style as Mrs. Figg's house:**

"Really?" Ron asked looking at his best friend.

"Yeah," Harry said, "the same smell and everything."

"The same smell?" Fred asked amusedly.

Harry just nodded.

**There were crocheted covers on the mismatched chairs and a strong smell of cats.**

"Ew." Several girls said at once.

"That's lovely," Parvati said sarcastically.

" **Well, it's not for long," said Mr. Weasley, mopping his bald patch with a handkerchief and peering in at the four bunk beds that stood in the bedroom.**

The muggleborns who had never seen a wizarding tent were in awe.

"Bunk beds in a tent?" A muggleborn said shaking her head. "That's amazing."

**"I borrowed this from Perkins at the office. Doesn't camp much anymore, poor fellow, he's got lumbago."**

"Poor guy," Andromeda said.

**He picked up the dusty kettle and peered inside it. "We'll need water…"**

"Why not just use the aguamenti charm?" Anthony asked. "It would be easy."

"We weren't supposed to use magic," Arthur reminded the Ravenclaw.

"I know," Anthony said. "But you were in a tent; no muggles would've seen you."

"I wanted to set a good example," Arthur explained.

A few purebloods rolled their eyes while several Slytherins sneered.

"They were in a bloody tent," Montague muttered.

" **There's a tap marked on this map the Muggle gave us," said Ron, who had followed Harry inside the tent and seemed completely unimpressed by its extraordinary inner proportions.**

"He was raised in the wizarding world," Hermione said to her best friend. "He wouldn't find it amazing like us."

"I know," Harry said. "But at the time it was just so shocking."

**"It's on the other side of the field."**

"More walking," Justin said shaking his head.

Susan rolled her eyes at her friend.

" **Well, why don't you, Harry, and Hermione go and get us some water then" - Mr. Weasley handed over the kettle and a couple of saucepans - "and the rest of us will get some wood for a fire?"**

"Having to act like a muggle must've been a dream come true for you," Tonks said teasingly.

"Nymphadora," Andromeda said sternly.

Arthur chuckled. "It's quite alright Andromeda, it really was amazing getting to do things the muggle way."

At the same time Tonks' hair turned red. "Don't call me Nymphadora!"

" **But we've got an oven," said Ron. "Why can't we just -"**

"I can't believe you asked dad that Ron," Bill said shaking his head.

" **Ron, anti-Muggle security!" said Mr. Weasley, his face shining with anticipation.**

 _'Disgrace to the name of wizards.'_ Lucius thought scathingly.

 _'That man shouldn't be working for our government.'_ Umbridge thought as she sniffed disdainfully.

**"When real Muggles camp, they cook on fires outdoors. I've seen them at it!"**

A few people who knew Arthur chuckled; they could imagine him saying that while looking excited.

"It really is fascinating," Arthur said enthusiastically.

"No it's not," Draco muttered.

**After a quick tour of the girls' tent, which was slightly smaller than the boys', though without the smell of cats,**

"Thankfully," Ginny said.

**Harry, Ron, and Hermione set off across the campsite with the kettle and saucepans.**

**Now, with the sun newly risen and the mist lifting,**

"Finally the sun is out," Justin said.

**they could see the city of tents that stretched in every direction. They made their way slowly through the rows, staring eagerly around.**

"It was interesting to see all of the different tents," Hermione said. "Some of them were very intriguing."

"And some were just down right odd," Ron said thinking back to some of the weird tents they saw.

**It was only just dawning on Harry how many witches and wizards there must be in the world; he had never really thought much about those in other countries.**

"Seriously?" Terry asked.

"Yeah," Harry shrugged. "I'm usually thinking about other things."

"Like how to stay alive," Fred said tactlessly.

"Fred!" Molly, Alicia, Katie, Angelina and Ginny yelled.

"Mr. Weasley!" McGonagall exclaimed.

Harry just snorted.

**Their fellow campers were starting to wake up. First to stir were the families with small children;**

"It's hard to sleep in when you have children," Molly said knowingly.

**Harry had never seen witches and wizards this young before.**

"Grew up with muggles remember," Harry said sounding slightly exasperated to the looks he was receiving.

**A tiny boy no older than two was crouched outside a large pyramid-shaped tent,**

"That tent was cool," Ron said.

At the same time Dean said, "I remember that one."

**holding a wand**

"Uh oh." A few people said at once.

"How'd he get a wand?" Hannah asked.

"That's not good," Terry said.

The twins looked eager to hear what the kid was doing.

**and poking happily at a slug in the grass, which was swelling slowly to the size of a salami.**

The students laughed while the adults shook their heads.

"Parents really should be careful not to leave their wands around," Andromeda said. "Especially when their children are really young."

**As they drew level with him, his mother came hurrying out of the tent.**

"Someone is in trouble." The twins sing songed.

"I bet you two were worse," Angelina said pointedly.

"Oh, they were," Molly said giving her twins a stern look.

The twins puffed their chests out proudly causing those around them to laugh.

" _ **How**_ **many times, Kevin? You** _ **don't**_ **-** _ **touch**_ **-** _ **Daddy's**_ **-** _ **wand**_ **– yecchh!"**

"That sounds like something Lily said once," Sirius said reminiscently.

"Really?" Harry asked, he didn't know a lot of stories about his parents.

"Yeah," Remus said for his best friend who looked to be lost in old memories. "You took James' wand once right after you turned one, you pointed it at the cat and she started to grow."

The students laughed while Harry blushed.

"We had a cat?" Harry asked suddenly.

"Yeah," Remus said. "His name was Boots, your mum named him. I'm not sure what happened to him though."

Harry smiled, his parents had a cat when he was little, that was something he hadn't known.

**She had trodden on the giant slug, which burst.**

The students laughed.

"Poor slug," Luna said as she stared into the ceiling. Snow was swirling around and the clouds were a light gray.

**Her scolding carried after them on the still air, mingling with the little boy's yells - "You bust slug! You bust slug!"**

The students laughed even harder.

"Little kids are so cute," Daphne said smiling.

**A short way farther on, they saw two little witches, barely older than Kevin, who were riding toy broomsticks that rose only high enough for the girls' toes to skim the dewy grass.**

A few people smiled at the image.

"I bought you one of those for your first birthday," Sirius said reminiscently to Harry.

"Really?" Harry asked, his face lit up.

"Yeah," Sirius said. "I have a picture of you riding it while James chases you around, you can see your mother laughing in the corner."

Harry blushed but smiled nonetheless while a few people laughed.

"I'd love to see the picture," Molly said.

"So would I," Hermione told Sirius.

"Of course," Sirius said with a mischievous smile.

Harry's smile immediately turned into an embarrassed look causing more people to laugh.

**A Ministry wizard had already spotted them; as he hurried past Harry, Ron, and Hermione he muttered distractedly, "In broad daylight! Parents having a lie-in, I suppose -"**

"People don't care about security when they're having fun," Kingsley said disapprovingly.

"People really should be more responsible," Molly said in the same tone.

**Here and there adult wizards and witches were emerging from their tents and starting to cook breakfast. Some, with furtive looks around them, conjured fires with their wands;**

Some students snickered while others rolled their eyes.

"Honestly," a seventh year Ravenclaw murmured.

**others were striking matches with dubious looks on their faces, as though sure this couldn't work.**

The muggleborns and half-bloods laughed.

"Most witches and wizards would die without magic," Hermione said shaking her head.

"What do you mean?" Several people asked.

"Wizards and witches rely on their magic for everything," Hermione explained. "Most can't even light a simple fire without their wand and they certainly couldn't defend themselves without them."

"We don't need to know how to do stuff the muggle way," a seventh year Slytherin said giving Hermione a disdainful look.

"I never said you did," Hermione told the Slytherin. "But it would be beneficial for people with magic to know how to do things without it."

"Granger's right," Moody grunted. "Without a wand most wizards wouldn't survive five seconds."

A few purebloods looked annoyed but a lot of the muggleborns were nodding their heads in agreement.

Anthony continued to read before anymore arguments could start.

**Three African wizards sat in serious conversation, all of them wearing long white robes and roasting what looked like a rabbit on a bright purple fire,**

The students snickered.

"Nothing says I'm just a normal person like roasting a rabbit on a bright purple fire," Fred said sarcastically.

"There's no reason why they had to make the fire purple," Hermione mumbled.

**while a group of middle-aged American witches sat gossiping happily beneath a spangled banner stretched between their tents that read: THE SALEM WITCHES' INSTITUTE.**

"My parents considered sending me there," a third year Hufflepuff whispered to her friend.

"Why?" Her friend asked.

"My mum went there," the third year replied.

**Harry caught snatches of conversation in strange languages from the inside of tents they passed, and though he couldn't understand a word, the tone of every single voice was excited.**

"It's the Quidditch World Cup," Oliver said excitedly. "Of course everyone is excited!"

" **Er - is it my eyes, or has everything gone green?" said Ron.**

Those who had gone to the World Cup and had been in the Irish section grinned.

**It wasn't just Ron's eyes. They had walked into a patch of tents that were all covered with a thick growth of shamrocks, so that it looked as though small, oddly shaped hillocks had sprouted out of the earth.**

"The Irish." Several people said at once.

"I bet the ministry wasn't happy," Justin said with a grin.

"We weren't." The ministry officials said.

"They weren't." Several people who had been there said at the same time.

**Grinning faces could be seen under those that had their flaps open. Then, from behind them, they heard their names.**

" **Harry! Ron! Hermione!"**

"You ran into someone you know?" Tonks asked.

"We ran into quite a few people actually," Harry said.

**It was Seamus Finnigan, their fellow Gryffindor fourth year.**

Seamus high fived both Harry and Ron.

**He was sitting in front of his own shamrock-covered tent, with a sandy-haired woman who had to be his mother, and his best friend, Dean Thomas, also of Gryffindor.**

This time it was Dean who high fived Harry and Ron.

" **Like the decorations?" said Seamus, grinning. "The Ministry's not too happy."**

Umbridge was glaring at Seamus. _'Filthy half blood.'_

" **Ah, why shouldn't we show our colors?" said Mrs. Finnigan.**

Harry sighed. He had like Mrs. Finnigan until this year when Seamus said she believed everything in the Daily Prophet.

**"You should see what the Bulgarians have got dangling all over** _**their** _ **tents. You'll be supporting Ireland, of course?" she added, eyeing Harry, Ron, and Hermione beadily.**

"If you have any sense of self-preservation you'll say yes," Terry said seriously.

At the same time Justin said. "Like they would say no around all of the Irish supporters."

**When they had assured her that they were indeed supporting Ireland, they set off again, though, as Ron said, "Like we'd say anything else surrounded by that lot."**

The students snickered.

"Exactly," Justin said grinning.

" **I wonder what the Bulgarians have got dangling all over their tents?" said Hermione.**

" **Let's go and have a look," said Harry, pointing to a large patch of tents upfield, where the Bulgarian flag - white, green, and red - was fluttering in the breeze. The tents here had not been bedecked with plant life, but each and every one of them had the same poster attached to it, a poster of a very surly face with heavy black eyebrows.**

Viktor raised an eyebrow at Harry who looked at him sheepishly.

"Don't worry," Hermione said. "Harry's descriptions of everyone have been horrible."

Ron glowered at the table. _'Of course Hermione would talk to Krum.'_

**The picture was, of course, moving, but all it did was blink and scowl.**

A few people looked like they wanted to snicker but with the famous seeker in question sitting in the same room as them no one did except for the twins and Lee.

" **Krum," said Ron quietly.**

" **What?" said Hermione.**

The twins waggled their eyebrows at Hermione.

"You know who he is now," Fred said suggestively.

"Fred!" Molly said looking scandalized.

Hermione glared at Fred, as did Viktor.

" **Krum!" said Ron. "Viktor Krum, the Bulgarian Seeker!"**

Ron muttered something unintelligible under his breath.

"The greatest seeker ever," Romilda said dreamily.

"Handsome too," Demelza added.

All around the hall people were saying words of agreement.

Viktor who was used to that sort of thing just ignored it.

" **He looks really grumpy," said Hermione, looking around at the many Krums blinking and scowling at them.**

"Sorry," Hermione said with a blush.

"It's fine Hermione," Viktor said giving her a small smile. "I've never liked having my photo taken."

" _ **Really grumpy**_ **?" Ron raised his eyes to the heavens.**

A few people snickered.

"I don't think Ron cares what he looks like," Dean said amused.

**"Who cares what he looks like?**

"I think Hermione does," George said making goo goo eyes.

"Shut up," Ron hissed at his brother.

A few people shot Ron knowing looks.

**He's unbelievable.**

"He really is amazing," Demelza said with a dreamy look.

"Quidditch players get all the girls," a third year Gryffindor muttered.

**He's really young too. Only just eighteen or something. He's a** _**genius** _ **, you wait until tonight, you'll see."**

Ron didn't look happy about his past self's words.

 **There was already a small queue for the tap in the corner of the field. Harry,** **Ron, and Hermione joined it, right behind a pair of men who were having a heated argument.**

Harry, Ron and Hermione exchanged amused looks much to those who saw them confusion.

**One of them was a very old wizard who was wearing a long flowery nightgown.**

The students began snickering.

**The other was clearly a Ministry wizard; he was holding out a pair of pinstriped trousers and almost crying with exasperation.**

More people starting laughing, even some of the adults' lips were twitching.

" **Just put them on, Archie, there's a good chap. You can't walk around like that, the Muggle at the gate's already getting suspicious –"**

The girls in the hall were laughing the hardest.

" **I bought this in a Muggle shop," said the old wizard stubbornly. "Muggles wear them."**

"Muggle girls," Justin said through his laughter.

"My mum wears those," Dean snickered.

"That would've been a hilarious sight," Seamus said amusedly. "To see a grown wizard wearing a woman's night dress."

" **Muggle** _ **women**_ **wear them, Archie, not the men, they wear** _ **these**_ **," said the Ministry wizard, and he brandished the pinstriped trousers.**

The laughing increased as people imagined the scene in their heads.

" **I'm not putting them on," said old Archie in indignation. "I like a healthy breeze 'round my privates, thanks."**

The hall burst into laughter at that sentence.

"That's too much information," Lavender said looking disgusted.

"I like him." The twins and Lee said in unison.

"Of course you three do," Angelina said once her laughing subsided.

**Hermione was overcome with such a strong fit of the giggles at this point that she had to duck out of the queue and only returned when Archie had collected his water and moved away.**

"It took her like five minutes to stop laughing," Ron said sounding amused.

Hermione blushed. "I couldn't stop myself.

**Walking more slowly now, because of the weight of the water, they made their way back through the campsite. Here and there, they saw more familiar faces: other Hogwarts students with their families.**

Those who had run into the trio grinned at them.

"We saw quite a lot of people we knew," Hermione said.

**Oliver Wood, the old captain of Harry's House Quidditch team, who had just left Hogwarts, dragged Harry over to his parents' tent to introduce him,**

"Did he literally drag you?" Fred asked interested.

"Yes," Harry answered.

"Oliver." Angelina, Katie and Alicia said in exasperation.

"I was happy to see him again," Oliver said not looking the least bit embarrassed or sheepish. "And my parents wanted to meet him."

"Are they as obsessed with quidditch as you?" George asked cheekily.

"Where do you think he gets it from?" Katie asked; she had met Oliver's parents before.

The Gryffindors laughed.

**and told him excitedly that he had just been signed to the Puddlemere United reserve team.**

The Gryffindor team smiled.

"That's awesome." Several of the younger Gryffindors said.

"I love Puddlemere United." A few Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs said.

Oliver grinned proudly.

**Next they were hailed by Ernie Macmillan, a Hufflepuff fourth year,**

Ernie grinned at the trio who smiled back.

**and a little farther on they saw Cho Chang,**

Cho smiled at Harry who gave her a polite smile back.

**a very pretty girl who played Seeker on the Ravenclaw team.**

Daphne felt a twinge of annoyance at the description but she didn't say anything.

Cho couldn't help but feel smug at the description.

**She waved and smiled at Harry, who slopped quite a lot of water down his front as he waved back.**

The boys in the hall sniggered while Harry turned red.

Ginny couldn't stop herself from sending a small glare at Cho.

**More to stop Ron from smirking than anything,**

Harry turned to glare at Ron who smiled cheekily back.

**Harry hurriedly pointed out a large group of teenagers whom he had never seen before.**

"That's a horrible subject change," George said with a smirk.

"Shut it," Harry grumbled.

" **Who d'you reckon they are?" he said. "They don't go to Hogwarts, do they?"**

"Not every teenager goes to Hogwarts," Ernie said. "There are a lot of foreign schools; there are even others in the United Kingdom."

"Really?" Several muggleborns asked.

"Yeah," Ernie said. "There's-"

But he was cut off by McGonagall. "You can all discuss foreign schools later, for now lets get back to the book."

"' **Spect they go to some foreign school," said Ron. "I know there are others. Never met anyone who went to one, though. Bill had a pen-friend at a school in Brazil…**

The twins and Ron started snickering causing those near them to give them strange looks.

Bill gave his three youngest brothers a partly annoyed and partly exasperated look. They wouldn't find it funny if it had happened to them.

**this was years and years ago… and he wanted to go on an exchange trip but Mum and Dad couldn't afford it.**

_'Of course they couldn't.'_ Lucius thought superiorly.

**His pen-friend got all offended when he said he wasn't going and sent him a cursed hat. It made his ears shrivel up."**

The students in the hall burst out laughing.

"You never open up strange mail!" Moody barked. "What were you thinking boy?"

Bill looked annoyed, whether at the laughter or Moody's words no one knew. "It wasn't strange Mad-Eye, he was my pen friend. I didn't know he was going to send me a cursed object."

**Harry laughed but didn't voice the amazement he felt at hearing about other wizarding schools.**

"When I first learned about other wizarding schools I found it amazing too," Justin said.

**He supposed, now that he saw representatives of so many nationalities in the campsite, that he had been stupid never to realize that Hogwarts couldn't be the only one.**

"It was stupid to think that," Zacharias said as he rolled his eyes.

Many of the students glared at the Hufflepuff.

"He was raised by muggles!" Daphne, Ginny and Cho said at the same time. The three girls looked at each other. Ginny looked shocked, like she hadn't meant to say that out loud. Cho looked annoyed that others had stood up for Harry.

Daphne tried not to glare at the other two girls. She couldn't help but feel both jealous and annoyed, not so much of Ginny but of Cho. In the books Harry described her as beautiful and it seemed like he had a small crush on her.

Hermione who could sense what Daphne was thinking looked at Harry and gestured for him to grab his girlfriend's hand. Harry was confused until he saw the look on Daphne's face; he grabbed her hand and gave her a kiss that lasted for a few seconds.

"It's you I like," Harry whispered as he pulled away.

"I know," Daphne said quietly before smiling slightly.

**He glanced at Hermione, who looked utterly unsurprised by the information.**

"It's Hermione," Dean said. "Of course she wasn't surprised."

**No doubt she had run across the news about other wizarding schools in some book or other.**

"She's read the entire library," Ron said. "She probably read about several schools in several different books."

The students snickered while Hermione pursed her lips.

"Just because you won't read anything but Quidditch Through the Ages doesn't mean-" Hermione began but she was cut off.

"Hermione, Ron," Harry said slightly exasperated.

Hermione shut her mouth and turned away.

" **You've been ages," said George when they finally got back to the Weasleys' tents.**

" **Met a few people," said Ron, setting the water down.**

"You should've known they would stop and talk to people," Katie said.

"We didn't know who would all be there, or if anyone we knew was even going," Fred said with a shrug.

"Tickets are expensive and can be hard to get," George said.

"True," Alicia said. "But a lot of families save up so that they can go."

" **You've not got that fire started yet?"**

"Seriously?" Justin asked incredulously. "It takes five seconds."

"They're purebloods remember," Hannah reminded him. "Most purebloods don't use matches."

" **Dad's having fun with the matches," said Fred.**

The students began snickering again.

"Oh, Arthur," Molly trailed off with a sigh.

Arthur blushed. "They're very interesting."

A few purebloods rolled their eyes.

**Mr. Weasley was having no success at all in lighting the fire, but it wasn't for lack of trying. Splintered matches littered the ground around him, but he looked as though he was having the time of his life.**

Those who knew Arthur chuckled good naturedly.

"You really are one of a kind Arthur," Tonks said as her lips quirked into a smile.

" **Oops!" he said as he managed to light a match and promptly dropped it in surprise.**

The muggleborns and half-bloods laughed.

A few people rolled their eyes.

"It's not that difficult," a sixth year muggleborn muttered.

"Wizards really are hopeless without wands," a seventh year Hufflepuff said under her breath.

" **Come here, Mr. Weasley," said Hermione kindly, taking the box from him, and showing him how to do it properly.**

"I bet you liked learning how to light a match," Bill told his father amusedly.

"I did," Arthur said enthusiastically.

**At last they got the fire lit, though it was at least another hour before it was hot enough to cook anything.**

"It would've been much quicker with magic," Stephen muttered.

**There was plenty to watch while they waited, however. Their tent seemed to be pitched right alongside a kind of thoroughfare to the field, and Ministry members kept hurrying up and down it, greeting Mr. Weasley cordially as they passed.**

"I found it interesting," Hermione said as she thought back to that day.

"We really were placed in an excellent spot," Arthur said.

**Mr. Weasley kept up a running commentary,**

"That would've been informative," Terry said seriously.

"And boring," Eddie muttered.

**mainly for Harry's and Hermione's benefit;**

"You mean mainly for Hermione's," Fred teased.

Harry mock glared at him.

**his own children knew too much about the Ministry to be greatly interested.**

"It's not interesting in the slightest," Ron said.

"That's because you grew up learning about all of that stuff," Hermione told him.

" **That was Cuthbert Mockridge, Head of the Goblin Liaison Office…**

"He's a nice guy," Susan said absentmindedly.

**Here comes Gilbert Wimple; he's with the Committee on Experimental Charms; he's had those horns for a while now…**

The students laughed.

"He has horns?" Owen asked incredulously.

"How in Merlin's name did that happen?" Colin asked going wide eyed.

"It happened from an experiment gone wrong," Arthur answered.

**Hello, Arnie… Arnold Peasegood, he's an Obliviator - member of the Accidental Magic Reversal Squad, you know…**

"That would be a fun job," Marcus said musingly.

"You'd want to obliviate people for a living?" Orla asked incredulously.

"Why not?" Marcus shrugged. "It seems like a fun job."

Orla rolled her eyes and muttered under her breath, "Boys."

 **and that's Bode** **and Croaker… they're Unspeakables…"**

"What's an Unspeakable?" Several students asked.

"They work in the Department of Mysteries," Rufus answered promptly.

"What do they do?" Justin asked curiously.

"No one knows exactly," Arthur answered. "They get up to a lot but very few people actually know what they do."

"Are they spies?" Dennis asked eagerly.

A few people laughed at Dennis' question.

"No," Arthur said kindly. "It's more along the lines of invention, experimentation and research but what exactly, is a mystery."

The order members exchanged looks; they knew that one of the things in the Department of Mysteries was the Hall of Prophecies.

" **They're what?"**

" **From the Department of Mysteries, top secret, no idea what they get up to…"**

Tonks, Remus and Sirius exchanged another look. The trio, the twins and Daphne all noticed the look and they exchanged looks of their own.

"What's that all about?" Harry whispered to Hermione.

Hermione looked to be deep in thought. "I'm not sure."

**At last, the fire was ready, and they had just started cooking eggs and sausages when Bill, Charlie, and Percy came strolling out of the woods toward them.**

"Perfect timing," Charlie said grinning.

Ron muttered something unintelligible under his breath.

" **Just Apparated, Dad," said Percy loudly.**

Ron rolled his eyes.

Percy internally cringed; he could see why his younger siblings thought he was a prat. He hadn't realized just how much time he spent trying to show off to his family.

**"Ah, excellent, lunch!"**

**They were halfway through their plates of eggs and sausages when Mr. Weasley jumped to his feet, waving and grinning at a man who was striding toward them.**

" **Aha!" he said. "The man of the moment! Ludo!"**

The quidditch fans grinned while Fred and George glared at the book.

**Ludo Bagman was easily the most noticeable person Harry had seen so far, even including old Archie in his flowered nightdress.**

Several students laughed at the reminder while other raised their eyebrows.

"He looked less like a muggle than the man in a woman's night dress?" Ritchie asked incredulously.

**He was wearing long Quidditch robes in thick horizontal stripes of bright yellow and black.**

Several students rolled their eyes; Bagman was obviously living in the past.

"His uniform," Oliver pointed out with a grin.

"Why would he wear that?" Lavender asked confusedly.

"Because he's an idiot," Cormac muttered.

"Because he's amazing," Oliver said cheerfully.

**An enormous picture of a wasp was splashed across his chest.**

"He was such a great player," Oliver said enthusiastically.

Fred and George scowled, he may have been a great player but he was a lying cheat.

**He had the look of a powerfully built man gone slightly to seed;**

"It comes with age," Arthur said off handedly.

Lucius sneered; he would never let himself go.

**the robes were stretched tightly across a large belly he surely had not had in the days when he had played Quidditch for England.**

"He didn't," Oliver said.

**His nose was squashed (probably broken by a stray Bludger, Harry thought),**

"He had his nose broken three times by a bludger," Oliver announced to the hall.

"Ouch," Mandy said with a wince.

**but his round blue eyes, short blond hair, and rosy complexion made him look like a very overgrown schoolboy.**

A few people chuckled at Ludo's description.

"He acts like one too," Tonks said.

" **Ahoy there!" Bagman called happily. He was walking as though he had springs attached to the balls of his feet and was plainly in a state of wild excitement.**

"Who wouldn't be excited? It's the Quidditch World Cup!" Oliver exclaimed.

" **Arthur, old man," he puffed as he reached the campfire, "what a day, eh? What a day! Could we have asked for more perfect weather? A cloudless night coming… and hardly a hiccough in the arrangements… Not much for me to do!"**

The trio exchanged looks; he hadn't done much at all. They all remembered him walking towards them without even knowing that a riot had been going on for more than twenty minutes.

**Behind him, a group of haggard-looking Ministry wizards rushed past, pointing at the distant evidence of some sort of a magical fire that was sending violet sparks twenty feet into the air.**

Several people shook their heads.

"Honestly," Hermione muttered.

"That's not obvious," Terry said rolling his eyes.

Amelia and Rufus both frowned, people really needed to learn to follow the rules

**Percy hurried forward with his hand outstretched.**

A lot of the students rolled their eyes. Less than ten minutes ago Percy was bad talking Bagman and now he wants to shake his hand.

"I thought you didn't like Ludo Bagman?" Roger asked.

Percy blushed and opened his mouth but quickly snapped it shut. He didn't like Bagman but the man was a department head so he wanted to make a good impression.

**Apparently his disapproval of the way Ludo Bagman ran his department did not prevent him from wanting to make a good impression.**

Percy's blush deepened.

"There's nothing wrong with wanting to make a good impression," Molly said in defense of her son.

"But there's something wrong with being a hypocritical kiss ass," Montague whispered to Adrian Pucey who snorted.

" **Ah - yes," said Mr. Weasley, grinning, "this is my son Percy. He's just started at the Ministry - and this is Fred - no, George, sorry -** _ **that's**_ **Fred –**

The twins broke into fake sobs.

"Our own father-" Fred began.

"Can't even tell us apart!" George finished.

The students laughed while Arthur blushed.

**Bill, Charlie, Ron - my daughter, Ginny and Ron's friends, Hermione Granger and Harry Potter."**

"And cue looking at my scar," Harry said rolling his eyes.

A lot of the students blushed since they had done the same thing upon meeting Harry.

Viktor looked at Harry and couldn't help but admire him a bit. Viktor found it annoying and sometimes difficult to be famous and he had only been famous for a few years, Harry had been famous since he was just an infant. He didn't know if he would be able to handle the lifelong attention Harry did, and over something he couldn't control.

**Bagman did the smallest of double takes when he heard Harry's name, and his eyes performed the familiar flick upward to the scar on Harry's forehead.**

"Bloody annoying," Harry muttered.

" **Everyone," Mr. Weasley continued, "this is Ludo Bagman, you know who he is,**

"Everyone knows who he is," Oliver said adamantly.

**it's thanks to him we've got such good tickets -"**

_'You certainly couldn't have afforded them yourself.'_ Lucius thought superiorly.

"Ludo Bagman got you tickets," Oliver said as though it was the greatest thing in the world.

Alicia, Angelina and Katie exchanged amused looks.

**Bagman beamed and waved his hand as if to say it had been nothing.**

" **Fancy a flutter on the match, Arthur?" he said eagerly, jingling what seemed to be a large amount of gold in the pockets of his yellow-and-black robes.**

The twins' scowls deepened.

Molly narrowed her eyes. _'He better not have.'_

" **I've already got Roddy Pontner betting me Bulgaria will score first - I offered him nice odds, considering Ireland's front three are the strongest I've seen in years - and little Agatha Timms has put up half shares in her eel farm on a weeklong match."**

"Well looks like Agatha Timms lost half her eel farm," Stebbins said shaking his head.

" **Oh…go on then," said Mr. Weasley. "Let's see…a Galleon on Ireland to win?"**

"Arthur!" Molly exclaimed.

"It was only one galleon Molly dear," Arthur said placatingly.

Molly's eyes narrowed further. "You are supposed to set a good example for the children. Gambling in front of them is not a good example."

The twins, Ron and Ginny rolled their eyes.

" **A Galleon?" Ludo Bagman looked slightly disappointed, but recovered himself. "Very well, very well…any other takers?"**

"He asked children?" Molly and Andromeda demanded.

Amelia shook her head, she knew that Ludo had a gambling problem but she didn't think he should be asking children to bet.

"You better not have," Molly said, her voice laced with warning.

The twins shifted slightly but said nothing to give themselves away.

" **They're a bit young to be gambling," said Mr. Weasley. "Molly wouldn't like -"**

"You're right, I wouldn't," Molly said, her lips pursed.

" **We'll bet thirty-seven Galleons, fifteen Sickles, three Knuts," said Fred as he and George quickly pooled all their money,**

The hall went silent and everyone turned to look at the Gryffindor table. Molly's eyes were narrowed into the tiniest of slits and her lips were as white as chalk. The twins were looking anywhere but at their mother and the other Weasley children looked between the twins and their mother.

"You two gambled!" Molly screeched. "I thought I taught you boys better than that? Thirty-seven galleons is a lot of money! How could you have been so irresponsible! I-"

"Molly," Arthur said loudly so he could be heard over her yelling.

"And you," Molly rounded on Arthur. "How could you let them? I-"

"Molly!" Arthur said even louder.

Molly's mouth snapped shut.

"It was Fred and George's money. I didn't want them to gamble but they did it and there is no changing that fact. Yelling at them in front of all of Hogwarts and visiting guests isn't going to change that," Arthur said calmly. "If you want to yell at them, do it later."

Fred and George were both thankful that their father stepped in. They knew their mother wouldn't be happy if they gambled but they did it over a year ago, listening to her yell won't change what they did. They were angry enough at themselves for losing all of that money. If Harry hadn't have given them his Triwizard earnings they wouldn't have been able to invent even half the stuff that they had.

"Fine," Molly said but she looked furious.

Everyone in the hall was grateful not to be Fred and George.

**"that Ireland wins - but Viktor Krum gets the Snitch.**

Everyone turned to look at the twins in shock.

"How did you know that?" Oliver asked the question everyone wanted to know.

"Intuition." The twins answered in unison.

"Have you two ever thought of taking Divination?" Trelawney asked in her mystic voice.

The twins made equal looks of horror and disgust. "No!"

Trelawney pursed her lips while several people snickered.

**Oh and we'll throw in a fake wand."**

"I'm sure he'll love that," Zacharias drawled as he rolled his eyes.

" **You don't want to go showing Mr. Bagman rubbish like that," Percy hissed,**

"They aren't rubbish," Fred said indignantly.

"I didn't mean it," Percy said blushing. "I just didn't want him thinking you were just immature jokesters."

**but Bagman didn't seem to think the wand was rubbish at all;**

"Of course not!" Lee exclaimed. "Those fake wands are amazing!"

Umbridge made a face. _'Those two are horrible menaces, those products of theirs shouldn't be allowed.'_

**on the contrary, his boyish face shone with excitement as he took it from Fred, and when the wand gave a loud squawk and turned into a rubber chicken, Bagman roared with laughter.**

A few people laughed at the look of shock on Zacharias' face.

"They are hilarious," Lee said to his best friends.

"I'd buy one." Several of the students said.

The twins both looked like cats who caught the canary.

" **Excellent! I haven't seen one that convincing in years! I'd pay five Galleons for that!"**

Molly sighed; maybe they did have a good chance at being successful with a joke shop.

**Percy froze in an attitude of stunned disapproval.**

The students snickered.

" **Boys," said Mr. Weasley under his breath, "I don't want you betting… That's all your savings… Your mother -"**

"You don't sound very convincing," Sirius said amused.

"I didn't want them to lose their money but it was their money to do with what they wanted," Arthur said as he ran a hand through his balding hair.

" **Don't be a spoilsport, Arthur!" boomed Ludo Bagman, rattling his pockets excitedly. "They're old enough to know what they want!**

The twins glared at the book as though willing it to explode.

**You reckon Ireland will win but Krum'll get the Snitch? Not a chance, boys, not a chance…**

A few people smirked while Viktor looked agitated.

**I'll give you excellent odds on that one… We'll add five Galleons for the funny wand, then, shall we…"**

**Mr. Weasley looked on helplessly as Ludo Bagman whipped out a notebook and quill and began jotting down the twins' names.**

"Bagman isn't a good person to bet with," Bill said as he looked at his younger brothers.

"Why not?" Several people asked.

"Well," Bill said with a hesitant look towards his mother. "If it's not in the book I'll tell everyone later."

A few people grumbled; he was starting to sound like the trio.

Molly eyed her oldest son suspiciously.

Bill didn't want to be the one to tell his mother that Bagman was in debt to the goblins. He was hoping that his brothers hadn't been ripped off by Bagman but chances are that they had been. It made him angry to think that his brothers had been taken advantage of but there was nothing he could do about it.

" **Cheers," said George, taking the slip of parchment Bagman handed him and tucking it away carefully.**

George had to stop himself from cursing the book.

**Bagman turned most cheerfully back to Mr. Weasley.**

" **Couldn't do me a brew, I suppose? I'm keeping an eye out for Barty Crouch.**

"Why would anyone want to find him?" Sirius muttered spitefully.

**My Bulgarian opposite number's making difficulties, and I can't understand a word he's saying.**

Harry and Ron traded smirks; they were both wondering the same thing. Was the Bulgarian faking not speaking English like the Bulgarian minister had been?

**Barty'll be able to sort it out. He speaks about a hundred and fifty languages."**

"A hundred and fifty?" Several people repeated dumbstruck.

"Is that even possible?" Justin asked incredulously.

"How would someone remember all those languages?" Wayne asked bewildered.

"That would be awesome!" Several people exclaimed.

"I didn't even know there were one hundred and fifty languages," a third year muttered.

" **Mr. Crouch?" said Percy, suddenly abandoning his look of poker-stiff disapproval and positively writhing with excitement.**

A few of the students snickered.

"Writhing with excitement?" George said suggestively.

"George!" "Mr. Weasley!"

Percy blushed as he glared at his brother.

The boys snickered while the girls wore looks of disgust.

" **He speaks over two hundred!**

Justin opened and closed his mouth not knowing what to say. _'How can someone possibly speak that many languages?'_

**Mermish and Gobbledegook and Troll…"**

"Trolls have an actual language?" Jimmy asked.

"Yes they do Mr. Peakes," Dumbledore answered with a smile.

" **Anyone can speak Troll," said Fred dismissively. "All you have to do is point and grunt."**

The students laughed as the twins high fived.

"I'm afraid it's a little bit more complicated than that," Dumbledore said as his mustache quivered.

**Percy threw Fred an extremely nasty look and stoked the fire vigorously to bring the kettle back to the boil.**

"Percy is obsessed with Crouch," Warrington muttered to Urquhart.

"Understatement," Urquhart muttered back.

" **Any news of Bertha Jorkins yet, Ludo?" Mr. Weasley asked as Bagman settled himself down on the grass beside them all.**

Sad looks crossed many of the faces in the hall at the mention of Bertha.

Amelia sighed, Bertha had unknown to them been dead by that time.

" **Not a dicky bird," said Bagman comfortably. "But she'll turn up. Poor old Bertha… memory like a leaky cauldron and no sense of direction.**

Amelia frowned; the Bertha she remembered had a good memory. If her memory was off then maybe she had been under a powerful memory charm or the Imperius curse. She was hoping that this book would provide her with some answers.

**Lost, you take my word for it. She'll wander back into the office sometime in October, thinking it's still July."**

"Unfortunately not," Tonks said sadly.

"Do you think things would've turned out differently if people would've been sent to look for her?" Dean asked looking inquiringly at the staff table.

The adults exchanged looks.

"I don't think so," Kingsley said after a minute. "By the sound of things her fate would've been the same no matter what."

" **You don't think it might be time to send someone to look for her?" Mr. Weasley suggested tentatively as Percy handed Bagman his tea.**

"It was too late by then," Harry said quietly.

Daphne leaned her head on her boyfriend's shoulder.

" **Barty Crouch keeps saying that," said Bagman, his round eyes widening innocently, "but we really can't spare anyone at the moment.**

"Of course not," Sirius said dryly. "You can spare a hundred ministry workers for a wretched tournament that shouldn't have been brought back in the first place but you can't spare one or two people to look for a missing employee. The ministry really is full of idiots."

The order members who worked for the ministry didn't seem fazed because they knew Sirius wasn't including them in that. Umbridge on the other hand looked furious but at a look from Fudge she kept silent.

"Thankfully some of you have brains," Sirius said looking at Amelia.

Amelia nodded and smiled at Sirius.

**Oh - talk of the devil! Barty!"**

"Joy," Sirius muttered bitterly.

A part of Percy wanted to defend his old boss but a bigger part of him was saying that Sirius has a valid reason to hate him. After all Crouch did send Sirius to Azkaban without a trial causing him to miss out on twelve years of his life.

**A wizard had just Apparated at their fireside, and he could not have made more of a contrast with Ludo Bagman, sprawled on the grass in his old Wasp robes.**

"Barty and Ludo are night and day," Rufus said absentmindedly.

**Barty Crouch was a stiff, upright, elderly man, dressed in an impeccably crisp suit and tie.**

"At least someone knows how to dress like a muggle," Justin said.

**The parting in his short gray hair was almost unnaturally straight, and his narrow toothbrush mustache looked as though he trimmed it using a slide rule.**

A few people rolled their eyes.

"He always was obsessed with his appearance," Ted said.

**His shoes were very highly polished. Harry could see at once why Percy idolized him.**

Sirius turned to look at Harry.

Harry put his hands up. "I just mean that Mr. Crouch was well put together, he seemed smart and it appeared as though he liked the rules." _'Too bad he thought rules shouldn't apply to him.'_ Harry added as an afterthought in his mind as he thought about how Crouch snuck his son out of Azkaban.

"Barty was always very sharp and put together," Rufus said.

**Percy was a great believer in rigidly following rules, and Mr. Crouch had complied with the rule about Muggle dressing so thoroughly that he could have passed for a bank manager; Harry doubted even Uncle Vernon would have spotted him for what he really was.**

"An evil bastard with no heart?" Sirius said scathingly.

"Sirius," Remus said warningly.

"What?" Sirius demanded.

"Language," Remus said as he gestured towards the younger students.

" **Pull up a bit of grass, Barty," said Ludo brightly, patting the ground beside him.**

A few people snorted.

"Barty wasn't the type to, pull up a bit of grass," Kingsley said, his deep voice sounding amused.

" **No thank you, Ludo," said Crouch, and there was a bite of impatience in his voice. "I've been looking for you everywhere. The Bulgarians are insisting we add another twelve seats to the Top Box."**

A few people smiled at the mention of the top box, what they wouldn't give to have sat in there.

" **Oh is** _ **that**_ **what they're after?" said Bagman. "I thought the chap was asking to borrow a pair of tweezers. Bit of a strong accent."**

The students either laughed or rolled their eyes.

"Why in Merlin's name would he ask for tweezers?" Cormac asked incredulously.

" **Mr. Crouch!" said Percy breathlessly,**

A few people snickered and Percy glared at them.

**sunk into a kind of half-bow that made him look like a hunchback.**

The twins laughed while Percy's glare turned to them.

" **Would you like a cup of tea?"**

" **Oh," said Mr. Crouch, looking over at Percy in mild surprise. "Yes - thank you, Weatherby."**

The students burst into laughter.

"He called you Weatherby?"

"He didn't know your name?"

"Why would he call you Weatherby? Did he mean Weasley?"

Percy turned red as the questions kept coming.

**Fred and George choked into their own cups.**

The twins wore identical smirks.

**Percy, very pink around the ears, busied himself with the kettle.**

_'That must've been embarrassing for him.'_ Daphne thought as she glanced at Percy. _'It's obvious he wants to be seen as impressive and having your boss forget your name isn't impressive.'_

" **Oh and I've been wanting a word with you too, Arthur," said Mr. Crouch, his sharp eyes falling upon Mr. Weasley.**

"He seems like such a cheerful man," Laura Madley said rolling her eyes.

" **Ali Bashir's on the warpath. He wants a word with you about your embargo on flying carpets."**

**Mr. Weasley heaved a deep sigh.**

Arthur shook his head. "I must've told him four dozen times that they're illegal here in Britain."

" **I sent him an owl about that just last week. If I've told him once I've told him a hundred times: Carpets are defined as a Muggle Artifact by the Registry of Proscribed Charmable Objects, but will he listen?"**

" **I doubt it," said Mr. Crouch, accepting a cup from Percy. "He's desperate to export here."**

"That won't happen unless they're made legal," Hermione said.

" **Well, they'll never replace brooms in Britain, will they?" said Bagman.**

"I hope not!" Oliver shouted indignantly.

"I think it would be cool," Dennis said with a faraway look in his eyes.

"I'd stick with brooms," Jimmy said.

" **Ali thinks there's a niche in the market for a family vehicle," said Mr. Crouch.**

"They actually would be good for families," Remus admitted.

"Couldn't someone fall off?" Seamus asked.

"People are just as capable of flying off brooms as they could carpets," Remus said. "They used to be legal and people rarely got hurt, there were actually less accidents than with brooms."

"Then why did they ban them?" Seamus asked looking confused.

"It's a long story," Remus answered. "If you want to know I'll explain why later."

" **I remember my grandfather had an Axminster that could seat twelve - but that was before carpets were banned, of course."**

"Of course," Sirius said scathingly as he rolled his eyes.

**He spoke as though he wanted to leave nobody in any doubt that all his ancestors had abided strictly by the law.**

"I highly doubt they all did," Hannah said seriously.

The trio exchanged looks.

 _'He wasn't exactly abiding by the law when he snuck his son out of Azkaban and using the Imperius curse on him.'_ Harry thought.

" **So, been keeping busy, Barty?" said Bagman breezily.**

" **Fairly," said Mr. Crouch dryly. "Organizing Portkeys across five continents is no mean feat, Ludo."**

"Merlin this guy is annoying," Justin muttered.

"How could Percy like him?" Sally-Anne whispered to her friend.

"He's Percy," Megan said as though it explained everything.

"You're right," Sally-Anne said. "He's sort of like a miniature version of Barty Crouch."

Megan and Sally-Anne both broke into quiet laughter at the thought of Percy dressed like Barty Crouch, toothbrush mustache and all.

" **I expect you'll both be glad when this is over?" said Mr. Weasley.**

**Ludo Bagman looked shocked.**

"He probably wanted the game to last for weeks," Ted said. He had known Ludo when they were younger; the man had always been obsessed with quidditch.

" **Glad! Don't know when I've had more fun…**

Oliver nodded in agreement.

**Still, it's not as though we haven't got anything to look forward to, eh, Barty? Eh? Plenty left to organize, eh?"**

Harry, Fleur and Viktor all looked at each other at the same time.

"The Triwizard Tournament." Several people said under their breath.

**Mr. Crouch raised his eyebrows at Bagman.**

" **We agreed not to make the announcement until all the details -"**

"Ludo was never one for keeping his mouth shut," Ted said knowingly.

" **Oh details!" said Bagman, waving the word away like a cloud of midges. "They've signed, haven't they? They've agreed, haven't they? I bet you anything these kids'll know soon enough anyway. I mean, it's happening at Hogwarts -"**

"It shouldn't have happened at Hogwarts," Sirius said angrily.

"It shouldn't have happened at all," Molly said frowning.

" **Ludo, we need to meet the Bulgarians, you know," said Mr. Crouch sharply, cutting Bagman's remarks short. "Thank you for the tea, Weatherby."**

The students snickered again.

Bill rolled his eyes. "It's Weasley."

**He pushed his undrunk tea back at Percy and waited for Ludo to rise; Bagman struggled to his feet, swigging down the last of his tea, the gold in his pockets chinking merrily.**

" **See you all later!" he said. "You'll be up in the Top Box with me - I'm commentating!"**

"You guys sat in the top box?" Several people exclaimed, their voices laced with jealousy.

"Yes," Ron said grinning.

"You're so lucky!" The quidditch nuts yelled

"The top box?" Oliver said as his eyes gleamed with excitement.

"That must've been amazing," Jimmy said wistfully.

"It was." Harry and Ron said in unison.

**He waved, Barty Crouch nodded curtly, and both of them Disapparated.**

" **What's happening at Hogwarts, Dad?" said Fred at once. "What were they talking about?"**

Harry sighed and muttered, "Something that never should've happened."

Daphne grabbed his hand and squeezed it.

" **You'll find out soon enough," said Mr. Weasley, smiling.**

" **It's classified information, until such time as the Ministry decides to release it," said Percy stiffly. "Mr. Crouch was quite right not to disclose it."**

The students rolled their eyes.

"You really need to lighten up Perce," Fred said seriously.

Percy blushed but didn't say anything.

" **Oh shut up, Weatherby," said Fred.**

Lee high fived Fred as some people snickered.

**A sense of excitement rose like a palpable cloud over the campsite as the afternoon wore on.**

"Everyone was so excited," Seamus said smiling at the memory.

"It was like one large party," Dean said.

**By dusk, the still summer air itself seemed to be quivering with anticipation, and as darkness spread like a curtain over the thousands of waiting wizards, the last vestiges of pretense disappeared: the Ministry seemed to have bowed to the inevitable and stopped fighting the signs of blatant magic now breaking out everywhere.**

The students chuckled while the adults shook their heads.

"Whenever large groups get together it's hard to control them," Kingsley said knowingly.

**Salesmen were Apparating every few feet, carrying trays and pushing carts full of extraordinary merchandise. There were luminous rosettes - green for Ireland, red for Bulgaria - which were squealing the names of the players,**

"I bought one of those." A few people said.

**pointed green hats bedecked with dancing shamrocks,**

Seamus grinned, he still had his hat.

**Bulgarian scarves adorned with lions that really roared,**

"Those sound awesome," Dennis said.

**flags from both countries that played their national anthems as they were waved; there were tiny models of Firebolts that really flew,**

A few people's eyes lit up.

"I wish I would've bought one," Harry said absentmindedly.

Sirius heard his godson and made a mental note to find one.

**and collectible figures of famous players, which strolled across the palm of your hand, preening themselves.**

Fred and George exchanged looks.

"That's a good idea," George said quietly to his twin.

"We could make miniature models of people," Fred said equally as quiet.

They both turned to Umbridge and smirked.

" **Been saving my pocket money all summer for this," Ron told Harry as they and Hermione strolled through the salesmen, buying souvenirs. Though Ron purchased a dancing shamrock hat and a large green rosette, he also bought a small figure of Viktor Krum, the Bulgarian Seeker.**

Viktor turned to look at Ron who blushed.

"I bought one of those." The girls who went to the World Cup said.

**The miniature Krum walked backward and forward over Ron's hand, scowling up at the green rosette above him.**

"All mine did was scowl as well," a sixth year female Hufflepuff said.

" **Wow, look at these!" said Harry, hurrying over to a cart piled high with what looked like brass binoculars, except that they were covered with all sorts of weird knobs and dials.**

"Omnioculars." Several people said.

" **Omnioculars," said the saleswizard eagerly. "You can replay action… slow everything down… and they flash up a play-by-play breakdown if you need it.**

"Those sound awesome!" Colin exclaimed.

"I wish I had a pair," Justin said.

"They sell them at stores in Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade," Ernie told his best friend.

**Bargain - ten Galleons each."**

"That's a lot of money," Colin said.

"They're worth it," Oliver told him.

" **Wish I hadn't bought this now," said Ron, gesturing at his dancing shamrock hat and gazing longingly at the Omnioculars.**

" **Three pairs," said Harry firmly to the wizard.**

"That was very nice of you Harry," Luna said in her usual dreamy voice.

"Thanks," Harry said somewhat awkwardly.

"It was nice," Daphne said before giving him a quick kiss.

" **No - don't bother," said Ron, going red. He was always touchy about the fact that Harry, who had inherited a small fortune from his parents, had much more money than he did.**

"Small fortune?" Harper snorted.

" **You won't be getting anything for Christmas," Harry told him, thrusting Omnioculars into his and Hermione's hands. "For about ten years, mind."**

"Somehow I think he'll conveniently forget when Christmas comes around," Remus said amusedly.

"How do you know?" Ron asked.

"James would do the same thing," Remus said fondly. "He would buy me something when I couldn't afford it and he'd say it was for my birthday or Christmas but when one of those days would come he'd give me something anyways. And no matter how hard I would try to give it back he wouldn't accept it back."

" **Fair enough," said Ron, grinning.**

" **Oooh, thanks, Harry," said Hermione. "And I'll get us some programs, look -"**

"Of course Hermione would go for the programs," Tonks said fondly.

**Their money bags considerably lighter, they went back to the tents. Bill, Charlie, and Ginny were all sporting green rosettes too, and Mr. Weasley was carrying an Irish flag. Fred and George had no souvenirs as they had given Bagman all their gold.**

The twins scowled.

**And then a deep, booming gong sounded somewhere beyond the woods, and at once, green and red lanterns blazed into life in the trees, lighting a path to the field.**

The students were becoming excited.

"Finally we'll get to the game!" Oliver said enthusiastically.

"You were there," Kenneth pointed out.

"So?" Oliver said. "It'll be great to read about."

" **It's time!" said Mr. Weasley, looking as excited as any of them. "Come on, let's go!"**

Anthony closed the book. "That's the end of the chapter."

"Would you care to read Mr. Krum?" Dumbledore asked as his eyes twinkled.

"Sure, why not," Viktor said before summoning the book.


	9. Quidditch World Cup

**"The Quidditch World Cup,"** read out Viktor.

The hall was filled with excitement. The majority of those in the hall hadn't been at the World Cup and they were excited to hear the game in detail. Those who had been at the Quidditch World Cup were excited to relive the action of the game; it had been an exciting one.

**Clutching their purchases, Mr. Weasley in the lead, they all hurried into the wood, following the lantern-lit trail.**

"It looked lovely," Luna said dreamily. "It was a lit up trail through the forest."

**They could hear the sounds of thousands of people moving around them, shouts and laughter, snatches of singing.**

"There was a lot of loud singing," Dean said.

"Some of it wasn't even in English," Seamus recalled.

**The atmosphere of feverish excitement was highly infectious; Harry couldn't stop grinning.**

"I know the feeling," Oliver said grinning.

"I don't think it was possible to not be excited," Seamus said.

**They walked through the wood for twenty minutes,**

"More walking," Justin said shaking his head.

**talking and joking loudly,**

"It was so easy to just relax and have fun that day," Harry said smiling in remembrance.

"It really had been," Hermione said as she too smiled. She wasn't the biggest quidditch fan but she had enjoyed herself immensely. She had especially liked seeing Harry and Ron both so happy, they both needed it after the revelations at the end of their third year. She knew it couldn't have been easy for Ron to learn that he'd been keeping a death eater as a pet. And it especially couldn't have been easy for Harry to go from thinking Sirius was trying to kill him and that he had betrayed his parents to learning that the man who betrayed his parents was really his best friends rat. And add the fact that his innocent godfather had been in Azkaban for almost his entire life. It had been good to be able to be carefree, even if it had been ruined hours later.

**until at last they emerged on the other side and found themselves in the shadow of a gigantic stadium. Though Harry could see only a fraction of the immense gold walls surrounding the field, he could tell that ten cathedrals would fit comfortably inside it.**

"Wow." Several muggleborns said in awe.

"It was huge," Dean said nodding his head.

" **Seats a hundred thousand," said Mr. Weasley, spotting the awestruck look on Harry's face.**

Several of the muggleborns jaws dropped.

"That's huge!" Colin exclaimed.

" **Ministry task force of five hundred have been working on it all year.**

"Wow," Dennis said in awe.

"It definitely kept the ministry busy," Arthur said knowingly.

**Muggle Repelling Charms on every inch of it.**

"I would hope so," Anthony said. "It wouldn't be good for muggles to find a large gold stadium in the middle of nowhere, especially if they were to come around during the match. Most muggle would faint at the sight of a person flying around on a broom."

**Every time Muggles have got anywhere near here all year, they've suddenly remembered urgent appointments and had to dash away again…**

"Muggle repelling charms are very useful," Moody grunted.

"Magic really is amazing," a third year muggleborn said in awe.

**bless them," he added fondly,**

A few people chuckled.

**leading the way toward the nearest entrance, which was already surrounded by a swarm of shouting witches and wizards.**

"Everyone was eager to get inside the stadium," Dean said.

" **Prime seats!" said the Ministry witch at the entrance when she checked their tickets. "Top Box! Straight upstairs, Arthur, and as high as you can go."**

The Weasley's, Harry and Hermione were on the receiving end of many jealous looks.

"Lucky," Dean muttered.

"I would do anything for those seats," Jimmy said wistfully.

**The stairs into the stadium were carpeted in rich purple. They clambered upward with the rest of the crowd, which slowly filtered away through doors into the stands to their left and right. Mr. Weasley's party kept climbing,**

"There were a lot of stairs," Ron said. "But it was worth it in the end."

**and at last they reached the top of the staircase and found themselves in a small box, set at the highest point of the stadium and situated exactly halfway between the golden goal posts.**

More jealous looks were sent towards the Weasley's, Harry and Ron.

"The view from there must've been amazing," Alicia said.

"It was." Harry and Ron said in unison.

"You could see everything," Charlie said grinning.

**About twenty purple-and-gilt chairs stood in two rows here, and Harry, filing into the front seats with the Weasleys,**

"Their group filled up half the seats," Mandy said amused.

"We really did," Charlie chuckled.

**looked down upon a scene the likes of which he could never have imagined.**

"It really was spectacular," Harry said as he pictured the scene from that day.

"It was more than I had ever imagined," Hermione said. "It was amazing to see."

**A hundred thousand witches and wizards were taking their places in the seats, which rose in levels around the long oval field.**

"It was fascinating to see so many different types of witches and wizards coming together," Hermione said.

"And interesting to say the least," Dean chimed in. He had seen a lot of unusual people at the World Cup.

**Everything was suffused with a mysterious golden light, which seemed to come from the stadium itself.**

"It looked magical," Ginny said with a small smile.

"It was magic," Zacharias said as though talking to a five year old.

Ginny glared at the Hufflepuff. "That's not what I meant and you know it Smith."

**The field looked smooth as velvet from their lofty position. At either end of the field stood three goal hoops, fifty feet high; right opposite them, almost at Harry's eye level, was a gigantic blackboard.**

"You guys really did have amazing seats," Seamus said jealously.

The Weasley's and Harry grinned and nodded.

"They were nice seats," Hermione said. Although different seats really wouldn't have made a big difference to her.

**Gold writing kept dashing across it as though an invisible giant's hand were scrawling upon the blackboard and then wiping it off again;**

"It was much cooler than the advertisement boards at muggle sporting events," Dean said.

**watching it, Harry saw that it was flashing advertisements across the field.**

_**The Bluebottle: A Broom for All the Family - safe, reliable, and with Built-in Anti-Burglar Buzzer…** _

"My parents have one of those," a third year Hufflepuff said.

_**Mrs. Shower's All Purpose Magical Mess Remover: No Pain, No Stain!… Gladrags Wizardwear - London, Paris, Hogsmeade…** _

"I love Gladrags," Hannah said.

"Isn't that the place that sells those horrid socks?" Ron asked Harry.

Harry nodded. "Yeah, it is."

**Harry tore his eyes away from the sign and looked over his shoulder to see who else was sharing the box with them. So far it was empty, except for a tiny creature sitting in the second from last seat at the end of the row behind them.**

"A house elf?" Terry asked, his eyebrows shooting up to his hair line.

**The creature, whose legs were so short they stuck out in front of it on the chair, was wearing a tea towel draped like a toga,**

"At least her outfit was better than Dobby's," Harry said. An image came to his mind of the horrible rags Dobby had worn when he worked for the Malfoy's. He looked at the elf now and smiled fondly at the bright colored shirt and long wild socks the house elf was wearing.

**and it had its face hidden in its hands. Yet those long, bat-like ears were oddly familiar…**

"Definitely a house elf," Ernie said.

" _ **Dobby**_ **?" said Harry incredulously.**

A few people snorted.

"Dobby isn't the only house elf," Bill said amused.

Harry blushed. "I know that."

"Dobby wasn't at the World Cup," Dobby squeaked.

Ron jumped. "Blimey Dobby, I forgot you were here."

"Ron," Hermione hissed.

"What?" Ron asked bewildered.

Hermione rolled her eyes and muttered, "Boys."

**The tiny creature looked up and stretched its fingers, revealing enormous brown eyes and a nose the exact size and shape of a large tomato.**

"I love your descriptions," Fred said amusedly.

"I'll never tire of hearing them," George said with mirth.

"Glad I can bring you two joy," Harry said dryly.

**It wasn't Dobby – it was, however, unmistakably a house-elf, as Harry's friend Dobby had been.**

Dobby beamed at being called Harry's friend by Harry himself.

"Harry Potter is too kind to Dobby," Dobby said, his eyes watery.

"It's nothing Dobby, you are my friend," Harry said kindly.

Several girls including Daphne smiled at the scene.

Daphne grew up with house elves. They hadn't treated theirs like friends but they hadn't treated them horribly like the Malfoy's either. She liked her house elves well enough but she wouldn't say they were her friends. However she thought it was sweet how Harry treated the old Malfoy elf.

**Harry had set Dobby free from his old owners, the Malfoy family.**

Draco glared at Harry at the reminder.

Narcissa frowned. "What's the book talking about Lucius?"

Lucius froze but his facial features never changed. He had told his wife that Dobby had messed up too much so he dismissed the elf; he had too much pride to tell her the truth.

"You mean Lucius never told you?" Sirius asked with a smirk.

Narcissa looked at her cousin for the first time since entering the Great Hall, her heart clenched when she looked at him so she quickly turned away. "Lucius what happened?"

Sirius had felt a moment of pleasure when he realized that Lucius had lied to his cousin, however when she looked at him he saw longing and sadness in her eyes. He didn't like that look, it was the way she looked at him when she tried to convince him to go back to his parents' house when he was sixteen.

"Harry tricked him into freeing Dobby," Ron said, he didn't bother to hide the amusement in his voice.

"Ronald," his mother said sternly. She didn't want him getting mixed up in the Malfoy's business.

Narcissa's eyes quickly flicked over to Harry and her frown deepened.

"Mrs. Malfoy," Dumbledore said getting everyone's attention. "You, your husband and everyone else who just today joined in the reading can read the first two books. Tomorrow and the next day we will be taking off from this reading so that those who need to go into the ministry for work can. I will supply a room and the first two books for you all to read."

Narcissa nodded once before giving her husband a glare and looking back to the book.

Lucius shifted unnoticeably, he didn't tell his wife certain things for a reason. He loved his wife and she loved him but she would never have allowed him to give the Weasley girl the diary. She had never been okay with harming children, and she certainly wouldn't have approved of him being responsible for him releasing a basilisk near their son. He was going to have to do something he didn't like, groveling.

" **Did sir just call me Dobby?" squeaked the elf curiously from between its fingers. Its voice was higher even than Dobby's had been, a teeny, quivering squeak of a voice, and Harry suspected – though it was very hard to tell with a house-elf – that this one might just be female.**

Hermione's lips were pursed; Winky was still a sore subject with her.

**Ron and Hermione spun around in their seats to look. Though they had heard a lot about Dobby from Harry,**

"Oh yeah we did," Ron chuckled.

**they had never actually met him. Even Mr. Weasley looked around in interest.**

"Did you know who Dobby was?" Orla asked curiously.

"No," Arthur answered. "I just thought it was someone the kids knew. I didn't know who he was until these books."

" **Sorry," Harry told the elf, "I just thought you were someone I knew."**

" **But I knows Dobby too, sir!" squeaked the elf.**

"Really?" Justin asked. "It really is a small world."

"That's quite a coincidence," Tonks said.

**She was shielding her face, as though blinded by light, though the Top Box was not brightly lit.**

"She must be scared of heights," Susan said frowning.

"Then why is she up there?" Hannah asked.

"If her master told her to go up there than she has too," Susan said with a sigh.

"That's ridiculous!" Hannah exclaimed.

"That's just how it is," Susan said giving her best friend a helpless look.

"Barbaric," Hermione muttered.

Harry and Ron exchanged looks, neither of them wanted to hear any more about SPEW.

" **My name is Winky, sir - and you, sir -" Her dark brown eyes widened to the size of side plates as they rested upon Harry's scar. "You is surely Harry Potter!"**

"Even amongst bloody house elves," Draco muttered bitterly.

Harry groaned. "I can't go anywhere."

" **Yeah, I am," said Harry.**

"Also known as the Boy-Who-Lived," Fred said in a booming voice.

"And the youngest seeker in a century!" George exclaimed.

"Not to mention quite the ladies' man," Fred said wagging his brows.

Harry turned red as the students laughed.

Daphne wrapped her arms around Harry's waist. "I better be your only lady," she whispered into his ear.

Harry kissed her forehead. He was surprised that this whole boyfriend thing wasn't as hard as he thought it would be. He thought he would be nervous to hold her hand or kiss her and public but it was the opposite. He wanted to hold her hand and kiss her no matter who saw. A part of him thought it was because he had been denied physical contact growing up, well positive physical contact. He loved the feel of her arms wrapped around him and the jolt of electricity he felt every time their lips touched.

" **But Dobby talks of you all the time, sir!" she said,**

"Of course he does," Ron chuckled amused at his best friends blush.

**lowering her hands very slightly and looking awestruck.**

Harry rolled his eyes; he wished people would stop looking at him like that.

" **How is he?" said Harry. "How's freedom suiting him?"**

Dobby grinned; he loved being a free elf.

A few purebloods noticed the elf's grin and shook their heads, most house elves would not be grinning if they were set free.

" **Ah, sir," said Winky, shaking her head, "ah sir, meaning no disrespect, sir, but I is not sure you did Dobby a favor, sir, when you is setting him free."**

Dobby frowned, he was very happy to be free.

"By the look on Dobby's face I don't think he agrees with Winky," Jimmy muttered to Euan.

" **Why?" said Harry, taken aback. "What's wrong with him?"**

"She worried me for a second," Harry admitted. "I thought that something had happened."

Several girls sent him grins at his words.

"You really are amazing aren't you?" Daphne asked quietly in his ear.

"What?" Harry asked slightly confused.

"I've never met a person who was so caring, especially in regards to house elves," Daphne told him. "I find it to be cute."

Harry blushed.

" **Freedom is going to Dobby's head, sir," said Winky sadly. "Ideas above his station, sir. Can't get another position, sir."**

Hermione glared at the book and muttered something incomprehensible under her breath.

 _'Please not another SPEW rant.'_ Ron thought desperately.

" **Why not?" said Harry.**

**Winky lowered her voice by a half-octave and whispered, "** _**He is wanting paying for his work, sir** _ **."**

"And how is that a bad thing?" Hermione demanded.

Harry and Ron exchanged exasperated looks.

"It's not the way house elves work," Ernie said.

"Well it should be," Hermione said with a sniff.

"House elves like to work Hermione," Daphne told her gently. "And most house elves really are happy. Most people don't treat them the way Dobby was."

"She's right," a pureblood seventh year Gryffindor said. "Most house elves would be miserable if they were to be freed. And most house elves cringe at the idea of being paid, that's not just how they work."

"Look at Winky," Ron told her. "She's been miserable ever since she was given clothes."

Hermione looked down at the table. She didn't think it was right for house elves to be treated the way they were. But she knew that Ron was right, Winky was miserable not having a proper master to work for. She still thought it was barbaric but she didn't want the elves to be miserable because she wanted them freed. She'd have to think more about it later.

" **Paying?" said Harry blankly. "Well - why shouldn't he be paid?"**

Hermione smiled approvingly at Harry.

"Not you too," Dean groaned.

"What's he talking about?" Daphne asked her boyfriend.

"SPEW," Ron answered for him.

"It isn't SPEW!" Hermione said crossly. "It's S-P-E-W and it's Society for the Protection of Elfish Welfare."

The Gryffindors and those in the other houses who had heard of it groaned. The only table where no one groaned was Slytherin and that's because no one had told any of them about it.

"It's a society I started to protect the right of house elves," Hermione explained. "To try getting them fair wages and rights."

"I don't think they'll like that very much," Daphne said frowning. "Most would find it insulting to get paid."

Hermione frowned, that's what one of the older Gryffindors had said.

At Ron's urging Viktor continued to read for which all those who knew about SPEW were grateful.

**Winky looked quite horrified at the idea and closed her fingers slightly so that her face was half-hidden again.**

Ron looked pointedly at Hermione who glared at him.

" **House-elves is not paid, sir!" she said in a muffled squeak. "No, no, no. I says to Dobby, I says, go find yourself a nice family and settle down, Dobby.**

"He'd probably serve you if you asked," Ron leaned over Hermione to say to Harry.

Hermione looked scandalized at the suggestion.

"I know," Harry told him. "But I'd never ask him too."

"What if he asked you?" Ron asked.

Harry glanced at Hermione whose glare switched from Ron to him.

"I'd think about it," Harry said as he tried to avoid Hermione's face.

Hermione huffed and looked stonily across the table.

Harry and Ron exchanged helpless looks.

Daphne watched the exchange; she would need to talk to Hermione.

**He is getting up to all sorts of high jinks, sir, what is unbecoming to a house-elf. You goes racketing around like this, Dobby, I says, and next thing I hear you's up in front of the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures, like some common goblin."**

A few people snorted.

"She's lucky no goblins heard her say that," Bill said knowingly.

" **Well, it's about time he had a bit of fun," said Harry.**

Luna smiled; she looked like she agreed with Harry.

" **House-elves is not supposed to have fun, Harry Potter," said Winky firmly, from behind her hands.**

Several muggleborns frowned, that didn't sound right.

"They should be entitled to have just as much fun as everyone else," Hermione said stiffly.

**"House-elves does what they is told.**

"I'm glad I'm not a house elf," Fred muttered to his twin.

**I is not liking heights at all, Harry Potter"**

More people frowned; she shouldn't be up there if she was afraid of heights.

**\- she glanced toward the edge of the box and gulped - "but my master sends me to the Top Box and I comes, sir."**

"That's not very nice," Hannah said seriously.

"House elves have to obey their masters no matter what," Susan said. "That's just how it is."

"There are some things about the wizarding world I'll never understand," Justin said shaking his head.

" **Why's he sent you up here, if he knows you don't like heights?" said Harry, frowning.**

"Because he's a bastard," Ron muttered. He didn't like Barty Crouch Sr; it was because of him a death eater was able to get Harry's name into the Goblet of Fire.

" **Master - master wants me to save him a seat, Harry Potter.**

The trio exchanged looks; they know that's not what she was really doing.

**He is very busy," said Winky, tilting her head toward the empty space beside her.**

_'Yeah busy trying to keep his murderous son imperiused.'_ Harry thought bitterly.

**"Winky is wishing she is back in master's tent, Harry Potter, but Winky does what she is told. Winky is a good house-elf."**

Hermione's eyes were now narrowed at the book.

Dobby looked sad for his friend Winky.

**She gave the edge of the box another frightened look and hid her eyes completely again.**

"Poor Winky," Hannah said sadly.

**Harry turned back to the others.**

" **So that's a house-elf?" Ron muttered.**

Draco sneered. _'Of course a Weasley wouldn't know what a house elf looks likes.'_

"You didn't know what they looked like?" Dean asked.

Ron shook his head. "No, we never had any."

**"Weird things, aren't they?"**

"Ron!" Hermione exclaimed.

"What?" Ron asked. "They are."

Hermione glared at him so fiercely it looked as though she was willing him to blow up.

Dobby didn't seem fazed by Ron's words.

" **Dobby was weirder," said Harry fervently.**

"Harry," Hermione hissed.

Harry blushed. "I'm sorry Dobby." He didn't want to hurt the elves feelings.

"It's fine Harry Potter," Dobby squeaked. "Dobby knows Harry Potter didn't mean it badly."

Harry smiled at the small elf.

**Ron pulled out his Omnioculars and started testing them, staring down into the crowd on the other side of the stadium.**

"I love those things." Several people who had attended the world cup said.

"They really are very useful," Hermione said although she was still pointedly not looking at her two best friends.

" **Wild!" he said, twiddling the replay knob on the side. "I can make that old bloke down there pick his nose again… and again… and again…"**

The hall started laughing.

"That's disgusting," Hannah squealed looking green.

"But hilarious!" Justin exclaimed through his laughter.

Hermione rolled her eyes. _'Boys.'_

**Hermione, meanwhile, was skimming eagerly through her velvet covered, tasseled program.**

"Only Hermione would go to the Quidditch World Cup and read," Fred said sadly.

"What a waste," George said solemnly.

A few people snickered.

"' **A display from the team mascots will precede the match,'" she read aloud.**

The boys who had been at the World Cup grinned.

" **Oh that's always worth watching," said Mr. Weasley. "National teams bring creatures from their native land, you know, to put on a bit of a show."**

"That's always entertaining," Kingsley said. "They're usually very good shows."

"Did you go to the World Cup?" A first year Hufflepuff asked.

"Yes," Kingsley answered with a kind smile. "I've gone to the last four."

"Lucky." Several people said jealously.

"I wish I could go to that many," Seamus said wistfully.

"We're going to the next one," Sirius told Harry seriously.

Harry grinned at his godfather.

**The box filled gradually around them over the next half hour. Mr. Weasley kept shaking hands with people who were obviously very important wizards.**

"It's the top box," Cormac said. "Of course there will be important wizards."

"With the exception of the Weasley's of course," Pansy said lowly to Draco.

**Percy jumped to his feet so often that he looked as though he were trying to sit on a hedgehog.**

Percy tinged pink as the twins snickered.

"Kiss ass," Montague muttered.

**When Cornelius Fudge, the Minister of Magic himself, arrived, Percy bowed so low that his glasses fell off and shattered.**

The students broke into laughter as Percy went from pink to red.

**Highly embarrassed, he repaired them with his wand and thereafter remained in his seat,**

"Good boy," Fred said mockingly.

Percy glared at his brother while his parent gave him disapproving looks.

**throwing jealous looks at Harry, whom Cornelius Fudge had greeted like an old friend.**

"Back when the ministry wasn't trying to get everyone to hate me," Harry said loudly.

Glares were sent to the minister. It was obvious that Fudge had at one point liked Harry but turned on him as soon as he said something that he didn't like. As everyone thought that they began to feel guilty, most of them had turned their backs on him at one point or another.

Fudge shifted uncomfortably in his seat. He had liked Harry until the end of his fourth year when he said that Voldemort was back. He had wanted to so badly believe that it was impossible for Voldemort to be back that he didn't care if a young boy was hurt in the process.

**They had met before, and Fudge shook Harry's hand in a fatherly fashion,**

Harry rolled his eyes; he never knew how people were going to treat him. One day he was being treated like royalty and the next like a house elf no one wanted.

**asked how he was, and introduced him to the wizards on either side of him.**

"You looked uncomfortable," Ron said as he remembered the look on his best friends face.

"I was," Harry admitted. "Every time I was introduced to someone they'd look at my scar and gawk."

" **Harry Potter, you know," he told the Bulgarian minister loudly,**

"Of course," Sirius said scathingly. "Show him off like a bloody show dog."

Fudge turned red as Amelia looked disapproving.

**who was wearing splendid robes of black velvet trimmed with gold and didn't seem to understand a word of English.**

Fudge scowled, that had been so annoying trying to mime everything just to find out that the man spoke English.

Harry and Ron exchanged amused looks; they recalled the Minister of Bulgaria messing with Fudge.

" _ **Harry Potter**_ **…oh come on now, you know who he is…**

"Just point to the scar and he'll know," Harry muttered annoyed.

**the boy who survived You-Know-Who…you** _**do** _ **know who he is -"**

"Everyone knows who he is," Ron pointed out.

"Even half way across the world," Ginny added.

"That makes me feel so much better," Harry muttered.

Daphne gave him a quick kiss; it seemed to cheer Harry up when she did that.

**The Bulgarian wizard suddenly spotted Harry's scar and started gabbling loudly and excitedly, pointing at it.**

Harry rolled his eyes.

" **Knew we'd get there in the end," said Fudge wearily to Harry.**

"Mr. Potter is not something for you to show off Cornelius," Amelia said sternly. "He has enough to worry about without having to deal with adults taking advantage of him."

Cornelius shifted once more feeling slightly ashamed.

" **I'm no great shakes at languages; I need Barty Crouch for this sort of thing. Ah, I see his house-elf's saving him a seat… Good job too, these Bulgarian blighters have been trying to cadge all the best places…**

"I don't blame them," Justin said. "I'd want the best seat I could find."

**ah, and here's Lucius!"**

"Great," Dean said sarcastically.

Glares were sent towards the eldest Malfoy who sneered.

Narcissa frowned. _'Why does everyone seem to have a problem with Lucius?'_

**Harry, Ron, and Hermione turned quickly. Edging along the second row to three still-empty seats right behind Mr. Weasley were none other than Dobby the house-elf's former owners: Lucius Malfoy;**

"Not only do we have to hear about Draco but his father as well," Seamus mumbled bitterly. "Way to ruin a good chapter."

**his son, Draco;**

"Git," Ron muttered.

**and a woman Harry supposed must be Draco's mother.**

Andromeda felt her heart clench at the mention of her sister. Words couldn't describe how much she missed her youngest sister. Growing up she had been extremely close to Narcissa and it killed her inside not speaking to her.

Sirius glanced up at his cousin before looking back at the book.

**Harry and Draco Malfoy had been enemies ever since their very first journey to Hogwarts.**

Harry and Draco looked at each other for a moment before looking away.

Harry internally sighed. He knew they'd never be best friends but he didn't want to fight with Draco anymore, it was too exhausting. He already had an enemy in Voldemort; he didn't need one at Hogwarts as well. He had been annoyed with Draco throughout the reading as he relived the fights they'd gotten into and the things he said, but he couldn't deny that he'd said and done things to him as well. Draco usually started it but he didn't have to stoop to his level but he did. Maybe he should at least try being civil to him.

Draco felt a bit of regret for the way things had worked out on the Hogwarts Express. If things had gone differently, he knew they could've been friends. _'Maybe it's not too late.'_ He looked at his father and knew that the man wouldn't approve, before the Dark Lord returned he would've because of Harry's wealth and fame. But now that the Dark Lord was back he would never allow them to be friends. He glanced at his mother; she however might not be so against it.

**A pale boy with a pointed face and white-blond hair,**

A few people glanced in Draco's direction.

**Draco greatly resembled his father.**

People looked back and forth between father and son.

**His mother was blonde too;**

"Which is surprising since most Blacks have dark hair," Sirius said.

"What color is your natural hair?" Alicia asked Tonks.

Tonks' hair slowly grew out until it resembled her mothers, long, dark and curly before going back to purple.

**tall and slim, she would have been nice-looking if she hadn't been wearing a look that suggested there was a nasty smell under her nose.**

Narcissa frowned.

Lucius glared fiercely at Harry who was looking anywhere but at the adult Malfoys.

Draco didn't like it when people insulted his mother, he joined his father in glaring at Harry but his wasn't as harsh.

" **Ah, Fudge," said Mr. Malfoy, holding out his hand as he reached the Minister of Magic. "How are you? I don't think you've met my wife, Narcissa?**

"What's with the names that purebloods give their kids?" Dean asked.

"Excuse me?" Several purebloods questioned angrily.

"Well Sirius, Narcissa, Nymphadora, Draco," Dean said as he looked around.

Draco and Narcissa both looked insulted.

"That's not purebloods," Sirius said waving his hand. "It's a Black thing."

"Don't call me Nymphadora!" Tonks exclaimed.

**Or our son, Draco?"**

"Who'd want to meet him?" Ron mumbled.

" **How do you do, how do you do?" said Fudge, smiling and bowing to Mrs. Malfoy.**

"Kiss ass." Several people muttered.

"I'm surprised he hadn't met them before," Hermione said seriously.

"So am I," Harry said looking up at the staff table. He knew that Fudge was in Lucius' pocket so he was surprised the minister had never met his family.

**"And allow me to introduce you to Mr. Oblansk - Obalonsk - Mr. - well, he's the Bulgarian Minister of Magic,**

A few people snorted.

"That's rude," Luna said frowning.

Sirius rolled his eyes; he couldn't even get the man's name right.

**and he can't understand a word I'm saying anyway, so never mind.**

Harry and Ron both smirked while Fudge scowled.

**And let's see who else - you know Arthur Weasley, I dare say?"**

"That must've been an awkward moment," Angelina said.

"It was." The twins and the trio said in unison.

**It was a tense moment.**

"You could feel the hate," Hermione said glancing sideways at Arthur.

**Mr. Weasley and Mr. Malfoy looked at each other and Harry vividly recalled the last time they had come face-to-face: It had been in Flourish and Blotts' bookshop, and they had had a fight.**

The students laughed at the reminder.

Narcissa sent her husband a small glare, she wasn't happy with him for that. A proper pureblood never fights in public, especially not in a muggle fashion.

**Mr. Malfoy's cold gray eyes swept over Mr. Weasley, and then up and down the row.**

"And cue snide comment," Fred said in a stage whisper.

The students snickered.

" **Good lord, Arthur," he said softly. "What did you have to sell to get seats in the Top Box? Surely your house wouldn't have fetched this much?"**

Almost all of the students glared at Lucius who stared stonily back.

"That's rude," Hannah said indignantly.

"He's a Malfoy, they're all rude," Ron said angrily.

"Pretentious git," Justin said.

**Fudge, who wasn't listening,**

"Of course not," Charlie said dryly.

Fudge blushed; he couldn't believe he hadn't heard that.

**said, "Lucius has just given a very generous contribution to St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries, Arthur.**

"Of course he did," Harry muttered rolling his eyes. "Have to appear to be Mr. Perfect."

Daphne heard him and squeezed his hand; she had never liked the eldest Malfoy either.

**He's here as my guest."**

" **How - how nice," said Mr. Weasley, with a very strained smile.**

"It was an uncomfortable ten minutes," Hermione admitted.

**Mr. Malfoy's eyes had returned to Hermione,**

More glares were sent to Lucius.

"He better not have said anything to you," Angelina said frowning.

"He didn't," Ron said glaring at the man.

"We would've said something if he had," Harry said seriously.

Hermione smiled at her best friend.

Fudge closed his eyes, how could he have been so blind. First Lucius gives an eleven year old girl a diary that releases a basilisk upon over a thousand students and then he tries to attack Harry Potter. And now he's showing his prejudices towards muggleborns. Fudge himself had never cared what your blood status was as long as you worked hard. _'How could I have been so blind?'_ He was regretting ever listening to Lucius Malfoy.

**who went slightly pink, but stared determinedly back at him.**

"Go Hermione!" The twins cheered.

"And that's another reason why she's in Gryffindor," Ron said proudly causing Hermione to blush.

**Harry knew exactly what was making Mr. Malfoy's lip curl like that.**

"Because he's a prejudiced git?" Ron asked, he ignored the look his mother sent him.

**The Malfoys prided themselves on being purebloods;**

"Your blood status doesn't make you better than anyone else," Sirius said with a pointed look at his cousin.

"It's just like with muggles," Dean chimed in. "Some people don't like certain people based on their skin color."

"That's stupid," Montague said.

A lot of the students snorted.

"And judging a person based on their blood status isn't?" Dean asked incredulously.

Montague couldn't think of anything to say that wouldn't make him look foolish so he didn't open his mouth.

The Slytherins didn't say anything; everyone just looked at each other until Viktor began reading again.

**in other words, they considered anyone of Muggle descent, like Hermione, second-class.**

"Which is stupid because Hermione is amazing," Ron said without thinking.

Hermione turned pink while the twins waggled their eyebrows.

"Do you really think so?" Fred asked with a smirk.

Ron turned bright red as a few people snickered.

**However, under the gaze of the Minister of Magic, Mr. Malfoy didn't dare say anything.**

"Even he isn't that stupid," Sirius said.

Lucius glared at the ex-convict.

**He nodded sneeringly to Mr. Weasley and continued down the line to his seats. Draco shot Harry, Ron, and Hermione one contemptuous look, then settled himself between his mother and father.**

"Git," Ron muttered.

"Now I see where he gets it from," Dean mused.

" **Slimy gits," Ron muttered as he, Harry, and Hermione turned to face the field again.**

"I agree with my past self," Ron said.

**Next moment, Ludo Bagman charged into the box.**

"He literally charged in," Ron said amused.

"It was quite the sight," Hermione said.

" **Everyone ready?" he said, his round face gleaming like a great, excited Edam.**

"Yes!" The quidditch fans yelled.

The room was filling with excitement. Those who hadn't been to the game were excited to hear what happened and those who had been there were eager to hear it again.

**"Minister - ready to go?"**

"Who cares," Sirius said airily.

" **Ready when you are, Ludo," said Fudge comfortably.**

**Ludo whipped out his wand, directed it at his own throat, and said "** _**Sonorus!** _ **"**

The students were leaning forward eagerly; no one wanted to miss a word of the game.

Umbridge had an annoyed look on her face, she didn't care about some silly quidditch game.

**and then spoke over the roar of sound that was now filling the packed stadium; his voice echoed over them, booming into every corner of the stands.**

"It was even louder being next to him," Hermione said, her ears had rang afterwards.

" **Ladies and gentlemen…welcome! Welcome to the final of the four hundred and twenty-second Quidditch World Cup!"**

"Finally!" Oliver exclaimed.

**The spectators screamed and clapped. Thousands of flags waved, adding their discordant national anthems to the racket.**

"There were so many people yelling different things that it was hard to make out what everyone was saying," Hermione said.

**The huge blackboard opposite them was wiped clear of its last message (Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans - A Risk With Every Mouthful!)**

Dean snorted. "Nice advertisement."

**and now showed BULGARIA: 0, IRELAND: 0.**

" **And now, without further ado, allow me to introduce…the Bulgarian National Team Mascots!"**

Those who hadn't been at the match looked eager to hear what the mascots were.

**The right-hand side of the stands, which was a solid block of scarlet, roared its approval.**

" **I wonder what they've brought," said Mr. Weasley, leaning forward in his seat. "Aaah!" He suddenly whipped off his glasses and polished them hurriedly on his robes.**

Molly glanced at her husband.

**"** _**Veela** _ **!"**

Molly promptly frowned.

The majority of the males in the room were grinning.

Fleur didn't look happy that veela were their mascot, but she was thankful that Bill wasn't grinning.

Molly shot a quick glance at Fleur; she knew that the girl was part veela.

" **What are veel -?"**

**But a hundred veela were now gliding out onto the field, and Harry's question was answered for him. Veela were women… the most beautiful women Harry had ever seen…**

"I love veela," Sirius said to himself.

Remus rolled his eyes; Sirius had always been girl crazy. He then looked at Tonks; to him she was more beautiful than a hundred veela.

**except that they weren't they couldn't be - human.**

Harry tinged pink as a large majority of the males nodded.

Harry shot Daphne a worried look.

"It's fine Harry," Daphne assured him. "Veela are very beautiful." She was feeling slightly jealous but she wasn't going to be mad at him for something he thought before they even met.

**This puzzled Harry for a moment while he tried to guess what exactly they could be; what could make their skin shine moon-bright like that, or their white-gold hair fan out behind them without wind…**

Ron had a dreamy look on his face.

**but then the music started, and Harry stopped worrying about them not being human - in fact, he stopped worrying about anything at all.**

The boys nodded absentmindedly while the girls scowled.

Fleur sighed; she didn't like how males always fawned over her. That was one of the many reasons why she had liked Bill; he didn't look at her like most guys did.

**The veela had started to dance, and Harry's mind had gone completely and blissfully blank.**

Harry cringed at the way that was worded; it reminded him of the Imperius curse.

**All that mattered in the world was that he kept watching the veela, because if they stopped dancing, terrible things would happen.**

Hermione rolled her eyes.

**And as the veela danced faster and faster, wild, half-formed thoughts started chasing through Harry's dazed mind. He wanted to do something very impressive, right now.**

"That's what happens," Remus said. "Males will do anything to impress a veela."

**Jumping from the box into the stadium seemed a good idea…**

Many girls were sending Harry incredulous looks.

"What?" Molly exclaimed.

"Don't worry Molly," Arthur said soothingly. "I wouldn't have let him do it."

**but would it be good enough?**

The boys who had been at the World Cup nodded, they had similar thoughts racing through their minds when the veela had danced.

" **Harry, what** _ **are**_ **you doing?" said Hermione's voice from a long way off.**

"I didn't know anything about veela back then," Hermione admitted.

**The music stopped. Harry blinked. He was standing up, and one of his legs was resting on the wall of the box.**

Several people looked amused while Harry turned bright red.

**Next to him, Ron was frozen in an attitude that looked as though he were about to dive from a springboard.**

Hermione scowled at the table.

**Angry yells were filling the stadium.**

"None of the males wanted the veela to leave," Charlie said.

"Including you?" Tonks asked cheekily.

"Shut up," Charlie muttered.

**The crowd didn't want the veela to go. Harry was with them; he would, of course, be supporting Bulgaria,**

"He goes from supporting Ireland to Bulgaria over a couple of girls," Alicia said amused.

"Typical boy," Angelina said laughing.

Harry internally groaned; this was so embarrassing. He was now dreading what everyone would say when his crush to Cho was revealed, he wasn't looking forward to that at all.

**and he wondered vaguely why he had a large green shamrock pinned to his chest. Ron, meanwhile, was absentmindedly shredding the shamrocks on his hat.**

Hermione's scowl deepened.

**Mr. Weasley, smiling slightly, leaned over to Ron and tugged the hat out of his hands.**

"They shouldn't have been allowed to bring veela," Susan said frowning. "They could've messed with the players heads."

"Or the ref's," Fred whispered to George who snickered.

" **You'll be wanting that," he said, "once Ireland have had their say."**

Seamus grinned and nodded.

" **Huh?" said Ron, staring open-mouthed at the veela, who had now lined up along one side of the field.**

**Hermione made a loud tutting noise. She reached up and pulled Harry back into his seat. "** _**Honestly** _ **!" she said.**

"You certainly have your hands full with those two," Katie said amusedly.

"You have no idea," Hermione said shaking her head.

Harry and Ron exchanged looks; they didn't know whether or not they should be insulted.

" **And now," roared Ludo Bagman's voice, "kindly put your wands in the air…for the Irish National Team Mascots!"**

Seamus beamed.

**Next moment, what seemed to be a great green-and-gold comet came zooming into the stadium.**

"What is it?" Stephen asked as he tried to think of what their mascot could be.

"I'm not sure," Marcus said.

**It did one circuit of the stadium, then split into two smaller comets, each hurtling toward the goal posts. A rainbow arced suddenly across the field, connecting the two balls of light.**

The twins exchanged looks; that would be a good idea for a firework.

**The crowd oooohed and aaaaahed, as though at a fireworks display.**

"It was spectacular," Hermione said.

**Now the rainbow faded and the balls of light reunited and merged; they had formed a great shimmering shamrock, which rose up into the sky and began to soar over the stands. Something like golden rain seemed to be falling from it –**

_'I bet Weasley loved that.'_ Draco thought.

" **Excellent!" yelled Ron as the shamrock soared over them, and heavy gold coins rained from it, bouncing off their heads and seats.**

"Is that gold?" Justin asked incredulously.

"It's leprechaun gold," Arthur answered. "It will disappear in a few hours."

**Squinting up at the shamrock, Harry realized that it was actually comprised of thousands of tiny little bearded men with red vests, each carrying a minute lamp of gold or green.**

"Leprechauns." Several people said at once.

"Ah," Stephen said nodding his head. "That makes sense."

" **Leprechauns!" said Mr. Weasley over the tumultuous applause of the crowd, many of whom were still fighting and rummaging around under their chairs to retrieve the gold.**

Many of the students rolled their eyes.

"I don't think everyone knew it was fake," Anthony pointed out.

" **There you go," Ron yelled happily, stuffing a fistful of gold coins into Harry's hand, "for the Omnioculars! Now you've got to buy me a Christmas present, ha!"**

Draco sneered, he knew it.

Ron turned red. "I didn't know."

Harry waved him off. "It's fine Ron, I would've bought you something for Christmas anyways. And I never wanted you to pay me back, it wasn't a big deal."

Ron nodded but he still felt both bad and embarrassed. He knew that Harry was extremely rich and didn't care about the money but he was embarrassed accepting things for no reason. He didn't want his best friend to think he was using him because he never would.

**The great shamrock dissolved, the leprechauns drifted down onto the field on the opposite side from the veela, and settled themselves cross-legged to watch the match.**

"At least they brought something that wouldn't interfere with people's minds," Susan whispered to Hannah.

" **And now, ladies and gentlemen, kindly welcome - the Bulgarian National Quidditch Team! I give you - Dimitrov!"**

Viktor smiled at the mention of his friend, which was a surprise since he didn't usually smile.

**A scarlet-clad figure on a broomstick, moving so fast it was blurred, shot out onto the field from an entrance far below, to wild applause from the Bulgarian supporters.**

" **Ivanova!"**

**A second scarlet-robed player zoomed out.**

" **Zograf! Levski! Vulchanov! Volkov!**

Viktor was still smiling as he read.

**Aaaaaaand -** _**Krum** _ **!"**

A few girls smiled at Viktor at his name but he didn't notice.

" **That's him, that's him!" yelled Ron, following Krum with his Omnioculars.**

Ron flushed as the twins sent him amused looks.

**Harry quickly focused his own.**

**Viktor Krum was thin, dark, and sallow-skinned, with a large curved nose and thick black eyebrows. He looked like an overgrown bird of prey.**

Viktor stopped reading and looked up at Harry, one of his thick black eyebrows raised.

Harry flushed while the twins and Ron snickered.

Harry rubbed his neck sheepishly.

Surprisingly, everyone saw Viktor's lips twitched in amusement before he looked back down at the book.

**It was hard to believe he was only eighteen.**

" **And now, please greet - the Irish National Quidditch Team!" yelled Bagman. "Presenting - Connolly! Ryan! Troy! Mullet! Moran! Quigley! Aaaaaand -** _ **Lynch**_ **!"**

Those who had supported Ireland cheered.

Umbridge now looked even more annoyed, she didn't approve of all this loud cheering over something that already happened. If she had it her way there would be no quidditch.

**Seven green blurs swept onto the field; Harry spun a small dial on the side of his Omnioculars and slowed the players down enough to read the word** _**Firebolt** _ **on each of their brooms**

Harry grinned at Sirius who grinned back.

**and see their names, embroidered in silver, upon their backs.**

An image formed in Harry's mind of him wearing professional quidditch robes, the name Potter emblazoned on the back. His friends cheering him on as he soared around searching for the golden snitch. Being a professional quidditch player was his dream but he knew as long as Voldemort was alive it could never be.

" **And here, all the way from Egypt, our referee, acclaimed Chairwizard of the International Association of Quidditch, Hassan Mostafa!"**

"Lovely name," a first year Ravenclaw snickered.

**A small and skinny wizard, completely bald but with a mustache to rival Uncle Vernon's,**

A few people snickered.

**wearing robes of pure gold to match the stadium, strode out onto the field. A silver whistle was protruding from under the mustache, and he was carrying a large wooden crate under one arm, his broomstick under the other.**

Some of the quidditch nuts were bouncing with anticipation.

**Harry spun the speed dial on his Omnioculars back to normal, watching closely as Mostafa mounted his broomstick and kicked the crate open - four balls burst into the air: the scarlet Quaffle,**

The chasers in the hall grinned.

**the two black Bludgers,**

The beaters grinned, none larger than Fred and George.

**and (Harry saw it for the briefest moment, before it sped out of sight) the minuscule, winged Golden Snitch.**

Now it was the seekers who were grinning.

"You saw the snitch?" Charlie asked in surprise and Harry nodded. "That's impressive."

**With a sharp blast on his whistle, Mostafa shot into the air after the balls.**

" **Theeeeeeeey're OFF!" screamed Bagman.**

"Finally," Jimmy said enthusiastically.

" **And it's Mullet! Troy! Moran! Dimitrov! Back to Mullet! Troy! Levski! Moran!"**

"Wow," Colin said in awe. "Are they throwing the quaffle that fast?"

"Yeah," Charlie answered with a grin. "Professional players are amazing."

"Not to mention that Ireland's International team has some of the best chasers," Seamus added proudly.

**It was Quidditch as Harry had never seen it played before.**

Harry nodded. "It was amazing to see people play like that."

**He was pressing his Omnioculars so hard to his glasses that they were cutting into the bridge of his nose.**

Madam Pomfrey tutted.

**The speed of the players was incredible - the Chasers were throwing the Quaffle to one another so fast that Bagman only had time to say their names.**

"They really were spectacular," Dean said fervently.

**Harry spun the slow dial on the right of his Omnioculars again, pressed the play by- play button on the top, and he was immediately watching in slow motion,**

"You'll be behind in the game if you do that," Charlie warned.

"I hadn't thought about that," Harry admitted.

**while glittering purple lettering flashed across the lenses and the noise of the crowd pounded against his eardrums.**

**HAWKSHEAD ATTACKING FORMATION,**

"Omnioculars tell you what plays the teams are doing?" Dennis asked interested.

"Yeah," Harry answered.

"That would be useful." Several of the players on the different house teams muttered.

**he read as he watched the three Irish Chasers zoom closely together, Troy in the center, slightly ahead of Mullet and Moran, bearing down upon the Bulgarians. PORSKOFF PLOY flashed up next, as Troy made as though to dart upward with the Quaffle, drawing away the Bulgarian Chaser Ivanova and dropping the Quaffle to Moran. One of the Bulgarian Beaters, Volkov, swung hard at a passing Bludger with his small club, knocking it into Moran's path;**

Several people leaned forward further eager to hear what happened.

**Moran ducked to avoid the Bludger and dropped the Quaffle; and Levski, soaring beneath, caught it –**

"They have amazing tactics," Sirius said as he listened intently.

"They are an international team," Remus reminded him.

"So is England and they sucked last year," Sirius reminded him.

" **TROY SCORES!" roared Bagman, and the stadium shuddered with a roar of applause and cheers. "Ten zero to Ireland!"**

The hall cheered as though they were there.

The professors all thought about silencing them but it was such a good change from the depressing chapters that they didn't say anything. Umbridge was going to but went silent at looks from Amelia, Rufus and Cornelius.

" **What?" Harry yelled, looking wildly around through his Omnioculars. "But Levski's got the Quaffle!"**

"That's why you shouldn't have slowed it down," Charlie said.

" **Harry, if you're not going to watch at normal speed, you're going to miss things!" shouted Hermione, who was dancing up and down, waving her arms in the air while Troy did a lap of honor around the field.**

Several people looked at Hermione in amusement.

"I thought you didn't like quidditch?" Parvati said.

"I don't dislike it, I just don't care if I watch it either way," Hermione said. "I only go to the games to watch Harry but it was hard not to get into the game."

**Harry looked quickly over the top of his Omnioculars and saw that the leprechauns watching from the sidelines had all risen into the air again and formed the great, glittering shamrock. Across the field, the veela were watching them sulkily.**

A few girls rolled their eyes including Hermione and Ginny.

**Furious with himself, Harry spun his speed dial back to normal as play resumed.**

**Harry knew enough about Quidditch to see that the Irish Chasers were superb.**

"More than superb," Katie said. "They're phenomenal."

**They worked as a seamless team, their movements so well coordinated that they appeared to be reading one another's minds as they positioned themselves,**

"Once you play with someone long enough you learn to know what they're going to do," Alicia said knowingly.

"I can normally tell where Alicia and Katie are going to be and we aren't even half as talented as Ireland's chasers," Angelina said.

"Don't sell yourselves short," Harry said smiling at his three friends and team mates.

**and the rosette on Harry's chest kept squeaking their names: "** _**Troy - Mullet - Moran** _ **!"**

"That would get annoying real fast," Mandy said to her friends.

**And within ten minutes, Ireland had scored twice more, bringing their lead to thirty-zero and causing a thunderous tide of roars and applause from the green-clad supporters.**

The students cheered again.

**The match became still faster, but more brutal.**

"That's what makes a match even better," Roger said.

**Volkov and Vulchanov, the Bulgarian Beaters, were whacking the Bludgers as fiercely as possible at the Irish Chasers, and were starting to prevent them from using some of their best moves;**

Seamus scowled and muttered, "Bloody Bulgarians." He realized afterwards that he was sitting very close to the Bulgarian seeker but thankfully Viktor hadn't heard him.

**twice they were forced to scatter, and then, finally, Ivanova managed to break through their ranks; dodge the Keeper, Ryan; and score Bulgaria's first goal.**

A few people cheered as Viktor read that out.

" **Fingers in your ears!" bellowed Mr. Weasley as the veela started to dance in celebration. Harry screwed up his eyes too; he wanted to keep his mind on the game.**

"Good," Daphne said approvingly.

**After a few seconds, he chanced a glance at the field. The veela had stopped dancing, and Bulgaria was again in possession of the Quaffle.**

" **Dimitrov! Levski! Dimitrov! Ivanova - oh I say!" roared Bagman. One hundred thousand wizards gasped as the two Seekers, Krum and Lynch, plummeted through the centre of the Chasers,**

"They saw the snitch!" Sally-Anne gasped.

"Probably not," Justin said. "It would be unusual for the snitch to be caught so early."

"It's probably the wronski feint," Michael supplied.

**so fast that it looked as though they had just jumped from airplanes without parachutes.**

"They were amazing," Dean said like a hyper child. "They both just dove and it looked so natural."

"They kind of reminded me of how you fly Harry," Seamus said.

Harry blushed at the praise.

**Harry followed their descent through his Omnioculars, squinting to see where the Snitch was –**

"If Harry can't see it then it's probably not there," Alicia said.

Harry blushed further. "Just because I can't see it doesn't mean it isn't there."

A few people sent him incredulous looks.

"You're always the first to spot the snitch and you always do it easily," Angelina said.

"Especially if you had Omnioculars," Katie added.

" **They're going to crash!" screamed Hermione next to Harry.**

**She was half right –**

"Only one of them will crash then," Stephen pointed out the obvious.

A few people glanced at Viktor, wondering if it had been him.

**at the very last second, Viktor Krum pulled out of the dive and spiraled off.**

There were cheers around the hall, Viktor waited until it quieted down to continue reading.

**Lynch, however, hit the ground with a dull thud that could be heard throughout the stadium.**

A lot of people flinched.

"That must've hurt," Eddie Carmichael said.

"Was he okay?" Melinda Bobbin asked worriedly.

"He was fine," Oliver answered the Ravenclaw quickly; he wanted to get back to the book.

**A huge groan rose from the Irish seats.**

"They're seeker just crashed into the ground, they probably weren't very happy," Bradley said to Chambers and Fawcett.

" **Fool!" moaned Mr. Weasley. "Krum was feinting!"**

"That was a good feint," Harry said to the Bulgarian seeker.

"Thank you Harry," Viktor said.

" **It's time-out!" yelled Bagman's voice, "as trained mediwizards hurry onto the field to examine Aidan Lynch!"**

"It's a good thing there are mediwizards there," Owen pointed out.

" **He'll be okay, he only got ploughed!" Charlie said reassuringly to Ginny,**

The twins snorted.

"Very reassuring Charlie," Fred said sarcastically.

**who was hanging over the side of the box, looking horror-struck.**

Several girls who had been at the World Cup nodded, they had been worried.

**"Which is what Krum was after, of course…"**

Viktor nodded absentmindedly. He didn't like it when people got hurt but that was all a part of the game.

**Harry hastily pressed the replay and play-by-play buttons on his Omnioculars, twiddled the speed dial, and put them back up to his eyes. He watched as Krum and Lynch dived again in slow motion. WRONSKI DEFENSIVE FEINT - DANGEROUS SEEKER DIVERSION**

"Very dangerous," Pomfrey said looking disapproving.

"I hope you haven't tried that," Molly said looking at Harry.

Harry shifted in his seat but didn't say anything.

"Oh come on Molly," Sirius said. "It's just quidditch he'll be fine."

Molly turned to Sirius and narrowed her eyes. "He's been injured at least once a year because of quidditch. The last thing he needs is to try some crazy stunt."

"Molly," Arthur said laying a hand on her shoulder. "Harry is an amazing flyer, I'm sure he'll be fine."

Molly pursed her lips but went silent.

**read the shining purple lettering across his lenses. He saw Krum's face contorted with concentration**

"You need to concentrate during that move," Oliver said to Harry. "It wouldn't do to face plant in the middle of the game."

Molly paled.

"Lovely image Oliver," Katie said sarcastically.

**as he pulled out of the dive just in time, while Lynch was flattened, and he understood - Krum hadn't seen the Snitch at all, he was just making Lynch copy him.**

"Didn't you do that to Cho?" Daphne asked as she thought back to the last book.

"Yeah," Harry answered. "In my third year."

"Oh, that's right, you did," Ron said. "I forgot about that."

"So did I." Many people said.

**Harry had never seen anyone fly like that;**

"I really haven't," Harry said agreeing with his past self.

**Krum hardly looked as though he was using a broomstick at all; he moved so easily through the air that he looked unsupported and weightless.**

"I wish I could fly like that," Ritchie said.

"It takes years of practice," Viktor said surprising the Gryffindor who hadn't expected the quidditch star to talk to him. Before glancing at Harry. "Or at least for most of us."

Harry blushed.

"Do not forget that I saw you fly during the first task," Viktor reminded Harry. "You flew better than most people I've met, and I know a lot of professionals."

Harry turned as red as a tomato.

**Harry turned his Omnioculars back to normal and focused them on Krum. He was now circling high above Lynch, who was being revived by mediwizards with cups of potion. Harry, focusing still more closely upon Krum's face, saw his dark eyes darting all over the ground a hundred feet below.**

"He must be using the time while Lynch was being healed to look for the snitch," Terence Higgs said.

"That's a good strategy," Adrian Pucey said.

**He was using the time while Lynch was revived to look for the Snitch without interference.**

"Smart," Charlie said to himself.

**Lynch got to his feet at last, to loud cheers from the green-clad supporters, mounted his Firebolt, and kicked back off into the air. His revival seemed to give Ireland new heart. When Mostafa blew his whistle again, the Chasers moved into action with a skill unrivaled by anything Harry had seen so far.**

"It's like seeing him hurt brought something out inside of them," Harry explained. "They were good before but they became something else entirely afterwards."

**After fifteen more fast and furious minutes, Ireland had pulled ahead by ten more goals.**

"Wow," Justin said clearly impressed.

**They were now leading by one hundred and thirty points to ten,**

"That's a huge lead," Kenneth said.

**and the game was starting to get dirtier.**

"Sounds like a faster paced version of Slytherin versus Gryffindor," Derek said.

"Basically it was," Dean said.

**As Mullet shot toward the goal posts yet again, clutching the Quaffle tightly under her arm, the Bulgarian Keeper, Zograf, flew out to meet her.**

"Whatever happens next will probably result in a foul," Sirius said.

**Whatever happened was over so quickly Harry didn't catch it, but a scream of rage from the Irish crowd, and Mostafa's long, shrill whistle blast, told him it had been a foul.**

"Wow you were right for once," Tonks said teasingly.

"Oi!" Sirius exclaimed causing Remus, Harry, Hermione and the Weasley's to chuckle.

" **And Mostafa takes the Bulgarian Keeper to task for cobbing — excessive use of elbows!" Bagman informed the roaring spectators. "And - yes, it's a penalty to Ireland!"**

"That's only going to help Ireland," Charlie said shaking his head. "There chasers are too good to miss a penalty shot."

**The leprechauns, who had risen angrily into the air like a swarm of glittering hornets when Mullet had been fouled, now darted together to form the words "HA, HA, HA!"**

The students laughed.

"I love Ireland's mascots," Stebbins chuckled.

"So do I," Summers said. "But I don't think the veela will find it funny."

**The veela on the other side of the field leapt to their feet, tossed their hair angrily,**

A few girls rolled their eyes.

**and started to dance again.**

**As one, the Weasley boys and Harry stuffed their fingers into their ears, but Hermione, who hadn't bothered,**

"She's a girl," Remus said. "Veela's only affect males."

**was soon tugging on Harry's arm. He turned to look at her, and she pulled his fingers impatiently out of his ears.**

A few people snorted.

" **Look at the referee!" she said, giggling.**

The students who hadn't been there leaned forward eagerly.

**Harry looked down at the field. Hassan Mostafa had landed right in front of the dancing veela, and was acting very oddly indeed. He was flexing his muscles and smoothing his mustache excitedly.**

The students burst into laughter.

"The veela are affecting the ref!" Ritchie exclaimed in amusement.

"I wish I could've seen that," Justin said through his laughter.

" **Now, we can't have that!" said Ludo Bagman, though he sounded highly amused.**

"I would think something was wrong with him if he didn't find it amusing," Charlie said as he stopped laughing.

**"Somebody slap the referee!"**

The students snickered.

**A mediwizard came tearing across the field, his fingers stuffed into his own ears, and kicked Mostafa hard in the shins.**

More snickering rang throughout the hall.

"Something tells me that the ref won't be too happy about that," Katie said amusedly.

**Mostafa seemed to come to himself; Harry, watching through the Omnioculars again, saw that he looked exceptionally embarrassed and had started shouting at the veela,**

"I would've been embarrassed and angry if I was him," Kevin said.

**who had stopped dancing and were looking mutinous.**

"This is getting even better," Wayne said as he tried to control his laughter.

" **And unless I'm much mistaken, Mostafa is actually attempting to send off the Bulgarian team mascots!" said Bagman's voice.**

"This sounds like it would've been the best match ever!" Lee exclaimed.

"I would've loved to see that," Laura said amused.

"I don't think they'll take that very well," Remus said slowly.

**"Now** _**there's** _ **something we haven't seen before… Oh this could turn nasty…"**

For the first time this chapter Moody was actually looking interested.

**It did:**

"That's ominous," Susan said to Hannah.

**The Bulgarian Beaters, Volkov and Vulchanov, landed on either side of Mostafa and began arguing furiously with him,**

"They should be playing instead of worrying about their mascots," Oliver said slightly annoyed.

**gesticulating toward the leprechauns, who had now gleefully formed the words "HEE, HEE, HEE."**

The students began to chuckle.

"That's only going to make the veela madder," a seventh year Slytherin said.

**Mostafa was not impressed by the Bulgarians' arguments,**

"I don't blame him, especially not after he was put under their allure," Tonks said.

**however; he was jabbing his finger into the air, clearly telling them to get flying again, and when they refused, he gave two short blasts on his whistle.**

"And now Ireland has two more chances to score," Seamus said happily.

" _ **Two**_ **penalties for Ireland!" shouted Bagman, and the Bulgarian crowd howled with anger.**

Seamus looked amused.

" **And Volkov and Vulchanov had better get back on those brooms… yes… there they go… and Troy takes the Quaffle."**

**Play now reached a level of ferocity beyond anything they had yet seen.**

"The game becomes five times more interesting when the players begin to get violent," a seventh year Ravenclaw said.

"Boys," the Ravenclaws friend muttered.

**The Beaters on both sides were acting without mercy:**

"When beaters get angry people start to get hurt," Summerby said.

**Volkov and Vulchanov in particular seemed not to care whether their clubs made contact with Bludger or human as they swung them violently through the air.**

Pomfrey, Andromeda and Molly all looked disapproving.

"This reminds me of the last game during our third year," Ron said to Harry who nodded.

**Dimitrov shot straight at Moran, who had the Quaffle, nearly knocking her off her broom.**

"Foul!" Seamus roared.

" _ **Foul**_ **!" roared the Irish supporters as one, all standing up in a great wave of green.**

"They seem to be yelling foul a lot," Hannah said.

" **Foul!" echoed Ludo Bagman's magically magnified voice. "Dimitrov skins Moran - deliberately flying to collide there -**

"That's stupid," Alicia said. "It hurts you as well as the person you purposely run into."

**and it's got to be another penalty - yes, there's the whistle!"**

**The leprechauns had risen into the air again, and this time, they formed a giant hand, which was making a very rude sign indeed at the veela across the field.**

The students laughed.

"The veela will be angry now," Remus said. He had heard stories about how veela got if made angry, it was never good for those who got in the way.

Sirius snorted. "Like they weren't before?"

**At this, the veela lost control.**

Remus nodded, he knew that'd happen eventually.

**Instead of dancing, they launched themselves across the field and began throwing what seemed to be handfuls of fire at the leprechauns.**

"The leprechauns didn't seem too bothered by it," Seamus said in remembrance.

"They can throw fire with their hands?" Colin asked wide eyed.

"Yes Colin they can," Remus answered.

"That's so cool," Colin said grinning.

A few people glanced at Fleur who looked slightly annoyed.

"No I can't do that," Fleur said guessing what people wanted to know. "Only a full veela can and I'm only a quarter."

**Watching through his Omnioculars, Harry saw that they didn't look remotely beautiful now.**

Those who had been at the world cup shook their heads in agreement, they had looked creepy.

**On the contrary, their faces were elongating into sharp, cruel-beaked bird heads, and long, scaly wings were bursting from their shoulders –**

Those who didn't know what a veela looked like when they weren't beautiful looked shocked.

Several people not so discretely looked at Fleur who was feeling both annoyed an uncomfortable. Harry noticed and felt bad for her; he knew what it was like to have people look at you as if you were some sort of display.

"You're making her uncomfortable," Harry said to a group of Ravenclaw boys who were staring at Fleur. They quickly looked away at Harry's words.

"Thank you Harry," Fleur said giving him a genuine smile.

"No problem Fleur," Harry said sincerely.

Bill squeezed his girlfriend hand as he gave Harry a quick smile.

" **And that, boys," yelled Mr. Weasley over the tumult of the crowd below, "is why you should never go for looks alone!"**

Arthur nodded to his past selves words.

**Ministry wizards were flooding onto the field to separate the veela and the leprechauns, but with little success;**

"Quidditch and fighting mascots," Ron said grinning. "That's what I call a brilliant day."

"You'd have to be mental to get in the middle of a group of veela when they're angry," Sirius said.

**meanwhile, the pitched battle below was nothing to the one taking place above.**

"I really wish I could've been there," Justin said longingly.

**Harry turned this way and that, staring through his Omnioculars, as the Quaffle changed hands with the speed of a bullet.**

" **Levski - Dimitrov - Moran - Troy - Mullet - Ivanova - Moran again - Moran - MORAN SCORES!"**

The students cheered again.

**But the cheers of the Irish supporters were barely heard over the shrieks of the veela, the blasts now issuing from the Ministry members' wands, and the furious roars of the Bulgarians.**

A few people chuckled; it definitely would've been amusing to see.

"It was really loud," Ginny said.

**The game recommenced immediately; now Levski had the Quaffle, now Dimitrov - The Irish Beater Quigley swung heavily at a passing Bludger, and hit it as hard as possible toward Krum, who did not duck quickly enough. It hit him full in the face.**

The students winced.

"Were you okay?" Romilda asked.

Viktor looked up to see who was talking to him. "I was fine."

**There was a deafening groan from the crowd; Krum's nose looked broken, there was blood everywhere,**

"That doesn't sound fine," Eloise whispered to her roommate.

**but Hassan Mostafa didn't blow his whistle.**

"What?" Pomfrey demanded. "Why not?"

"The poor boy was hurt," Molly said frowning.

Harry laughed at the look on Viktor's face; apparently Viktor wasn't that fond of being fussed over either.

"Why are you laughing?" Daphne asked bewildered.

"I think it's because Viktor has the same look on his face that Harry does when we try to take him to the hospital wing," Hermione elaborated.

**He had become distracted, and Harry couldn't blame him; one of the veela had thrown a handful of fire and set his broom tail alight.**

The students snickered.

"Tough luck," Ernie said simply.

"It really isn't his day," Tonks said amusedly.

**Harry wanted someone to realize that Krum was injured; even though he was supporting Ireland, Krum was the most exciting player on the field.**

"He was," Dean agreed.

"And the cutest," a fourth year Hufflepuff giggled to her friends.

**Ron obviously felt the same.**

" **Time-out! Ah, come on, he can't play like that, look at him -"**

"It didn't stop him from playing," Oliver said waving his concerns away.

" _ **Look at Lynch**_ **!" Harry yelled.**

**For the Irish Seeker had suddenly gone into a dive, and Harry was quite sure that this was no Wronski Feint; this was the real thing…**

The students leaned forward, everyone, even those who hadn't gone to the game knew Ireland had one but they were so caught up in the game they didn't care.

" **He's seen the Snitch!" Harry shouted.**

"Had you seen the snitch?" Natalie asked.

"Yeah," Harry answered.

" **He's seen it! Look at him go!"**

**Half the crowd seemed to have realized what was happening;**

"The other half was too busy watching the drama unfold on the field," Ron said amused.

"I don't blame them," Euan said. "It sounds like it would've been hilarious."

"Yeah," Jimmy agreed. "But the game itself would be better."

**the Irish supporters rose in another great wave of green, screaming their Seeker on… but Krum was on his tail. How he could see where he was going, Harry had no idea; there were flecks of blood flying through the air behind him,**

Pomfrey was shaking her head and frowning.

"How is he still playing like that?" Lavender asked with a grimace.

"He wants to catch the snitch," Seamus answered.

**but he was drawing level with Lynch now as the pair of them hurtled toward the ground again –**

" **They're going to crash!" shrieked Hermione.**

"I hope not," Molly said seriously. "They both already got hurt."

" **They're not!" roared Ron.**

" **Lynch is!" yelled Harry.**

"Not again," Rose groaned.

**And he was right –**

"You can tell when someone's about to crash," Harry said to the curious looks.

**for the second time, Lynch hit the ground with tremendous force and was immediately stampeded by a horde of angry veela.**

Almost everyone in the hall winced.

"He crashes only to be stampeded by a horde of angry veela," Terry said as he grimaced. "That was just not his day."

" **The Snitch, where's the Snitch?" bellowed Charlie, along the row.**

" **He's got it - Krum's got it - it's all over!" shouted Harry.**

The students cheered, Krum was the only young person in the hall who didn't look happy.

The adults watched the cheering and felt bad because they knew it wouldn't last. They didn't know what was in this book but they all knew what happened that night and with Harry's luck he witnessed it and something that important would be in the book.

**Krum, his red robes shining with blood from his nose, was rising gently into the air, his fist held high, a glint of gold in his hand.**

"Congratulations." Several people said to the Bulgarian.

"It really was a spectacular catch," Hermione told her friend.

"Thank you," Viktor said.

**The scoreboard was flashing BULGARIA: 160, IRELAND: 170**

"They lost by ten points, that would suck to catch the snitch but still lose," Ernie said.

"Why did he catch the snitch if they wouldn't win?" Hannah asked.

"Because Krum wanted to go end the game on his terms," Justin answered. "He probably knew the Irish chasers were too good and Bulgaria wouldn't be able to score anymore."

**across the crowd, who didn't seem to have realized what had happened.**

"There was too much going on," Arthur said.

**Then, slowly, as though a great jumbo jet were revving up, the rumbling from the Ireland supporters grew louder and louder and erupted into screams of delight.**

Seamus was grinning from ear to ear.

" **IRELAND WINS!" Bagman shouted, who like the Irish, seemed to be taken aback by the sudden end of the match.**

"It ended a lot quicker than anyone thought it would," Bill said.

"I can't believe that you two guessed that correctly," Charlie said looking at the twins.

The twins just grinned mysteriously even though they were still mad that Bagman ripped them off.

" **KRUM GETS THE SNITCH - BUT IRELAND WINS — good lord, I don't think any of us were expecting that!"**

"That rarely ever happens," Euan said. "Normally whoever catches the snitch wins."

" **What did he catch the Snitch for?" Ron bellowed, even as he jumped up and down, applauding with his hands over his head.**

Anthony snorted. "That's quite a contrast."

**"He ended it when Ireland were a hundred and sixty points ahead, the idiot!"**

"Ronald," Molly said disapprovingly.

Hermione glared at Ron.

Viktor glanced up at Ron who was turning red but he didn't say anything.

" **He knew they were never going to catch up!" Harry shouted back over all the noise, also applauding loudly. "The Irish Chasers were too good… He wanted to end it on his terms, that's all…"**

Viktor nodded, that was exactly why he had done it.

" **He was very brave, wasn't he?" Hermione said,**

Ron scowled at the table.

**leaning forward to watch Krum land as a swarm of mediwizards blasted a path through the battling leprechauns and veela to get to him. "He looks a terrible mess…"**

Ron felt a bit of jealousy but he pushed it down, he didn't care if Hermione liked Krum.

Harry glanced at his best friend and noticed his sulky face. He shook his head, he had realized last year that they both liked each other but he didn't know when they'd finally admit it to themselves.

**Harry put his Omnioculars to his eyes again. It was hard to see what was happening below, because leprechauns were zooming delightedly all over the field,**

The students looked amused.

**but he could just make out Krum, surrounded by mediwizards. He looked surlier than ever and refused to let them mop him up.**

"Boys," Padma muttered.

"He really does remind me of you," Hermione said to Harry.

**His team members were around him, shaking their heads and looking dejected;**

"At least they made it to the World Cup," Charlie said. "Now they just need to train harder so if they make it again in a few years they can do better."

**a short way away, the Irish players were dancing gleefully in a shower of gold descending from their mascots.**

"They must've been ecstatic," Alicia said smiling.

"They probably all had major hangovers the next morning," Tonks said laughing.

**Flags were waving all over the stadium, the Irish national anthem blared from all sides; the veela were shrinking back into their usual, beautiful selves now, though looking dispirited and forlorn.**

"At least they aren't throwing fire anymore," Marcus said.

" **Vell, ve fought bravely," said a gloomy voice behind Harry. He looked around; it was the Bulgarian Minister of Magic.**

"Wait, what?" Hannah asked. "I thought he didn't speak English."

"Oh, he spoke English alright," Ron said amused.

"He was faking it?" Justin asked looking dumbstruck.

"Yes," Ron said before bursting into laughter.

The hall was silent for a moment besides Ron and then the rest of the students joined him in laughing.

"I like him," Anthony said as he tried catching his breath.

"A minister with a sense of humor!" Lee exclaimed.

"Why can't our minister be like that?" Jack asked.

" **You can speak English!" said Fudge, sounding outraged. "And you've been letting me mime everything all day!"**

The students snickered as Fudge sat red faced glaring at the book. He had been miming all day long when the man could understand everything he was saying.

Umbridge sniffed, that Bulgarian didn't seem like a good minister to her.

" **Veil, it vos very funny," said the Bulgarian minister, shrugging.**

The students began laughing again.

"I really like him," Fred said full of mirth.

" **And as the Irish team performs a lap of honor, flanked by their mascots, the Quidditch World Cup itself is brought into the Top Box!" roared Bagman.**

"You guys got to meet the players?" Jimmy asked excitedly.

"We didn't meet them," Harry said. "They only came into the top box to shake hands with the two ministers, or in Ireland's case accept the trophy."

**Harry's eyes were suddenly dazzled by a blinding white light, as the Top Box was magically illuminated so that everyone in the stands could see the inside. Squinting toward the entrance, he saw two panting wizards carrying a vast golden cup into the box, which they handed to Cornelius Fudge, who was still looking very disgruntled that he'd been using sign language all day for nothing.**

The twins smirked at the minister.

" **Let's have a really loud hand for the gallant losers - Bulgaria!" Bagman shouted.**

A few people snorted.

"I'm sure that will make them feel good," Alicia said sarcastically.

**And up the stairs into the box came the seven defeated Bulgarian players. The crowd below was applauding appreciatively; Harry could see thousands and thousands of Omniocular lenses flashing and winking in their direction.**

"It was kind of creepy to be honest," Hermione admitted.

**One by one, the Bulgarians filed between the rows of seats in the box, and Bagman called out the name of each as they shook hands with their own minister and then with Fudge.**

"I bet Fudge loved all the attention," Ron muttered to his two best friends.

**Krum, who was last in line, looked a real mess. Two black eyes were blooming spectacularly on his bloody face.**

A few people looked at him with sympathy.

**He was still holding the Snitch.**

"Did you get to keep it?" Dennis asked excitedly.

"Yes," Viktor answered.

"In professional games they always let the person who caught the snitch keep it," Oliver answered.

**Harry noticed that he seemed much less coordinated on the ground. He was slightly duck-footed and distinctly round-shouldered. But when Krum's name was announced, the whole stadium gave him a resounding, earsplitting roar.**

"Well he did do an amazing job," Hermione said.

**And then came the Irish team. Aidan Lynch was being supported by Moran and Connolly; the second crash seemed to have dazed him and his eyes looked strangely unfocused.**

"I was surprised he was still standing," Harry said seriously.

"He looked like he was about to faint," Ron added.

**But he grinned happily as Troy and Quigley lifted the Cup into the air and the crowd below thundered its approval.**

"I thought I was going to go deaf," Ron said.

**Harry's hands were numb with clapping.**

**At last, when the Irish team had left the box to perform another lap of honor on their brooms (Aidan Lynch on the back of Connolly's,**

"I would hope he wasn't on his own," Molly said. "He most likely would've fallen off."

**clutching hard around his waist and still grinning in a bemused sort of way),**

"He really should've let them heal him first," Pomfrey said disapprovingly.

"He had just won the World Cup I doubt he wanted to spend time with healers instead of doing a victory lap," Ron said.

Pomfrey turned her disapproving look towards Ron.

**Bagman pointed his wand at his throat and muttered, "** _**Quietus** _ **."**

" **They'll be talking about this one for years," he said hoarsely, "a really unexpected twist, that… shame it couldn't have lasted longer…**

"I agree," Oliver said nodding his head.

**Ah yes… yes, I owe you… how much?"**

The twins scowled something which Bill noticed.

Bill narrowed his eyes. He knew that Bagman was a horrible gambler but he hoped that he didn't rip his brothers off.

**For Fred and George had just scrambled over the backs of their seats and were standing in front of Ludo Bagman with broad grins on their faces, their hands outstretched.**

Molly pursed her lips but she didn't say anything.

"That's the end of the chapter," Viktor announced to the hall.

"I'll read next," Bill offered.

Viktor passed the book to the oldest Weasley child.


	10. The Dark Mark

Bill looked down at the chapter title and grimaced, he picked a horrible chapter to read. **"The Dark Mark,"** he said.

Those three little words caused the cheerful atmosphere of just a few seconds ago to turn into a tense silence.

To the adults in the room those three words brought back memories of the first war. Of going to a friend's house or coming home and seeing that horrible mark hanging above the house. When you saw that mark you knew what it meant, it meant that your whole life was changed forever. It meant that people you cared about were dead and that they were never coming back. You'd walk inside to see people you used to know laying on the floor dead, and all you could do was fall to the floor and cry and hope that they hadn't suffered.

Molly's eyes widened as her oldest son read the chapter title. She had seen the dark mark the night her brothers had been killed. They had been attacked by a group of death eaters, they had died that night at the hand of Dolohov but not before taking down several death eaters. She missed her brothers more than she could express, she still cried sometimes when she thought about them. They had been extremely close growing up and they had always been protective of her. The last time she saw them they had been joking around and trying to cheer her up, the twins reminded her of them so much that sometimes it hurt. When Voldemort fell at the end of the first war she had hoped to never see that horrible mark again, she never expected that her children would one day see it. When she had looked at the front page of the Daily Prophet the day after the World Cup and saw the dark mark in the sky she felt her heart clench, her stomach drop and her blood freeze. She had felt terror, a terror she hadn't felt in thirteen years. She hadn't even been that terrified when she thought Ginny had been dead, because this time images of her entire family including Harry and Hermione lying dead had flashed before her eyes. She had wanted to scream, cry, throw up and curse someone all at the same time.

Arthur noticed the horrified look in his wife's eyes and he wrapped an arm around her. He remembers seeing the dark mark and fearing the worst. All of his children plus Harry and Hermione who were like children to him had been there and he didn't know where they were. For a moment he thought that it could be one of them, that he would walk into the forest and seeing one of them sprawled on the ground pale and lifeless. He shivered at the thought, he didn't know what he would do if he lost any of his children.

Sirius cringed and paled at the chapter title. He had known Harry was at the World Cup and when he saw the headline a few days later his heart had stopped. He was picturing a million different scenarios, and in all of them Harry was dead. Harry meant everything to him and if he had died he didn't think he could bear it.

Amelia closed her eyes; she had seen the dark mark too many times during the first war. She still had nightmares of the time she went to her older brother's house and saw the horrible green mark hovering above his house. She knew what she would find when she went inside; she hadn't even entered the house before she started crying harder than she ever had before. She never wanted her niece to have to live in fear of coming home and seeing the dark mark but she knew that with Voldemort being back it was a possibility.

The aurors exchanged looks; the dark mark had caused pandemonium at the World Cup. They were all grateful that no one had died, because when they saw the mark appear against the dark night sky they all thought that they would find at least one body. They all internally cringed at the thought that soon they might be seeing that mark once more; they all knew Voldemort wouldn't keep quiet for long.

The students who knew what the dark mark was were looking frightened. The purebloods and half-bloods grew up knowing what the dark mark was and they all feared it. Many of them remember waking up and seeing the dark mark on the front page of the paper, they had feared for their friends who they knew to be at the World Cup. The muggleborns and the few wizard raised students who didn't know what the dark mark was looked confused but they could tell it was a bad thing.

Daphne wrapped her arms around Harry's waist and Harry put one arm around her shoulders.

" **Don't tell your mother you've been gambling," Mr. Weasley implored Fred and George as they all made their way slowly down the purple-carpeted stairs.**

"We're not stupid." The twins said in unison.

Molly wanted to say something about their gambling but the chapter title was still ringing in her head.

" **Don't worry, Dad," said Fred gleefully, "we've got big plans for this money. We don't want it confiscated."**

The twins both exchanged looks; they would've been screwed if Harry hadn't given them his Triwizard earnings.

"That explains how they were able to afford to make all of the things they've been testing out in the common room," Alicia whispered to Katie and Angelina.

**Mr. Weasley looked for a moment as though he was going to ask what these big plans were, but seemed to decide, upon reflection, that he didn't want to know.**

A few people chuckled but it was slightly strained, everyone knew the chapter wouldn't be happy for long.

"Wise of you not to ask," Sirius told the Weasley patriarch. "You should never ask a prankster what they're planning."

**They were soon caught up in the crowds now flooding out of the stadium and back to their campsites.**

"The only bad thing about crowds that large is everyone starts to push and it can become dangerous," Hermione said seriously.

"How?" Seamus asked frowning.

"When people get excited and hyped up they can start to push and people can fall and get hurt or trampled on accident," Hermione elaborated. "It's happened before."

**Raucous singing was borne toward them on the night air as they retraced their steps along the lantern-lit path,**

"The Irish supporters were being extremely loud," Charlie said. "especially the die-hard Ireland fans."

Seamus nodded; those near his family's tent had been extremely loud and wild.

"That would've been amazing," Lee said. "It would've been one large party."

**and leprechauns kept shooting over their heads, cackling and waving their lanterns.**

"The leprechauns were acting like they themselves had just won," Hermione said in remembrance.

**When they finally reached the tents, nobody felt like sleeping at all,**

"I don't blame you," Kenneth said. "I probably would've stayed up all night."

"We didn't feel like sleeping either," Dean said gesturing to himself and Seamus.

**and given the level of noise around them, Mr. Weasley agreed that they could all have one last cup of cocoa together before turning in.**

"Of course you did," Molly said dryly.

"It was meant to be fun," Arthur told his wife. "And it was too loud; I doubt they would've been able to fall asleep."

**They were soon arguing enjoyably about the match;**

"That really was a brilliant night," Ron said smiling before it faded. "Well until later."

"Don't remind me," Remus said with a grimace.

**Mr. Weasley got drawn into a disagreement about cobbing with Charlie,**

Bill shook his head in amusement.

"Quidditch debates are always fun," Charlie said grinning at the memory. One of the only things he didn't like about his job was living so far away from his family; he missed them when he was gone. And this is why he enjoyed all of the little things when they were together.

**and it was only when Ginny fell asleep right at the tiny table and spilled hot chocolate all over the floor**

A few people snickered but not many since most of the hall was still tense. They knew that no one died but they still knew it'd be horrible to hear about.

**that Mr. Weasley called a halt to the verbal replays and insisted that everyone go to bed.**

"Good," Molly said firmly.

Pomfrey nodded in agreement to Molly's words.

**Hermione and Ginny went into the next tent, and Harry and the rest of the Weasleys changed into pajamas and clambered into their bunks. From the other side of the campsite they could still hear much singing and the odd echoing bang.**

"Were any of those echoing bangs you Seamus?" Ron asked with a smirk.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Seamus demanded.

"Well in case you haven't noticed you tend to cause a lot of explosions," Ron supplied.

"I do not!" Seamus exclaimed.

Harry, Ron, Neville and Dean all snorted while Hermione, Parvati and Lavender gave the Irishman incredulous looks.

"You ruin more cauldrons than Neville." Ron said before quickly adding, "No offense Neville."

Neville laughed. "None taken."

"It's not my fault things tend to catch fire around me," Seamus muttered.

The fifth year Gryffindors exchanged amused looks.

" **Oh I am glad I'm not on duty," muttered Mr. Weasley sleepily.**

"Yes, you were," Rufus said. He had been on duty that night and it had been a mess.

**"I wouldn't fancy having to go and tell the Irish they've got to stop celebrating."**

"I pity the witch or wizard they sent to do that," Tonks said seriously.

"The Irish wouldn't have listened," Sirius told her.

"Of course we wouldn't have," Seamus said. "We had just won the World Cup!"

**Harry, who was on a top bunk above Ron, lay staring up at the canvas ceiling of the tent, watching the glow of an occasional leprechaun lantern flying overhead,**

"I don't know how anyone would be able to sleep with all that light and noise," a fourth year Ravenclaw said.

"If you're really tired it would be easy," the Ravenclaw's friend said.

**and picturing again some of Krum's more spectacular moves. He was itching to get back on his own Firebolt and try out the Wronski Feint…**

"You've already done it," Ron told his best friend.

"Yeah," Harry said. "But it didn't look like Viktor's."

**Somehow Oliver Wood had never managed to convey with all his wriggling diagrams what that move was supposed to look like…**

"He might have," Alicia said. "None of us paid enough attention to know for sure."

Oliver glared at his old team mates.

**Harry saw himself in robes that had his name on the back, and imagined the sensation of hearing a hundred-thousand-strong crowd roar, as Ludo Bagman's voice echoed throughout the stadium, "I give you…** _**Potter** _ **!"**

A few people gave Harry amused looks.

Snape sneered, that was just another sign of his arrogance. He pushed down the part of his brain that was telling him it was normal for fourteen year olds to envision themselves as professional quidditch players.

**Harry never knew whether or not he had actually dropped off to sleep – his fantasies of flying like Krum might well have slipped into actual dreams -**

Sirius smiled slightly, he was glad that his godson was having normal dreams for once.

Harry internally sighed; he wished all of his dreams could be that peaceful.

**all he knew was that, quite suddenly, Mr. Weasley was shouting.**

The atmosphere in the room became tense again.

Those who had been there shivered, they had been terrified.

Daphne still had her arms around Harry's waist, she now leaned her head against his shoulder.

Arthur quickly put an arm around his wife; he knew this would be hard for her to hear.

" **Get up! Ron - Harry - come on now, get up, this is urgent!"**

**Harry sat up quickly and the top of his head hit canvas.**

"Harry always gets up quickly if he hears shouting," Ron said into the tense silence.

"I woke him up once to ask for his noted and he was up in less than a second clutching his wand," Neville said.

Harry blushed and looked sheepish. "Sorry about that, it's my reflexes."

"Don't apologize boy!" Moody barked. "Those are the sort of reflexes that will save your life one day."

" **S' matter?" he said.**

"Aren't you eloquent," Fred teased, he was trying to lessen the tension but it didn't work.

**Dimly, he could tell that something was wrong.**

"You could tell?" Seamus asked surprised. He hadn't known something was wrong until he actually saw everyone running and screaming in fear. His mum grabbed him and Dean and they ran into the forest. He had been so worried that something would happen to one of them; he had nightmares about it for weeks afterwards.

Harry nodded; he was normally good at telling when something was wrong. He'd always been very good at noticing all of the little changes in his surroundings.

**The noises in the campsite had changed.**

"You could tell by the noises?" Dean asked incredulously.

"I pick up on little things," Harry said with a shrug.

The ministry employees except for Umbridge looked impressed. The aurors were once more looking at him appraisingly.

**The singing had stopped. He could hear screams, and the sound of people running.**

"It had been terrifying," Ginny said with a grimace. "People sounded so scared and helpless."

**He slipped down from the bunk and reached for his clothes, but Mr. Weasley, who had pulled on his jeans over his own pajamas, said, "No time, Harry - just grab a jacket and get outside - quickly!"**

Everyone in the hall except for the first year muggleborns knew what was going on. Those who hadn't been in the wizarding world at the time looked confused.

**Harry did as he was told**

Several people nodded approvingly.

**and hurried out of the tent, Ron at his heels. By the light of the few fires that were still burning, he could see people running away into the woods,**

"It had seemed like the safest place for people to go so we told anyone we came across to go there," Rufus said.

**fleeing something that was moving across the field toward them, something that was emitting odd flashes of light and noises like gunfire.**

"I had been terrified," Hermione admitted. When she had walked out of her tent and saw people running in every direction and screaming she had been horrified, worried and terrified. She wanted to run to Harry and Ron and make sure they were okay but she tried her best to stay calm. She'd been through horrible scenarios before but this one had felt different. She had chosen to go through the trapdoor, she had chosen to try to rescue Ron down in the Whomping Willow and she had chosen to break ministry laws and go back in time. This was a scenario in which she had no choice in the matter, and her friends hadn't either. Images had flooded into her mind; Harry pale and lifeless laying in the hospital wing after saving the Sorcerer's Stone, Ron's leg snapping as he was dragged into the Whomping Willow, big yellow eyes and loud hissing and watching as Harry fell over fifty feet from his broom. All the horrors she had seen came back to her in that moment and she feared for her safety but more than her own she had feared for Harry and Ron's.

"So was I," Ron admitted quietly. He didn't know what was going on at first, the yelling hadn't sounded any different to him. But when he stepped foot outside of the tent he knew that something was wrong. He heard yells that ripped through his stomach and saw flashed of light coming from almost every direction. He'd felt vulnerable standing in the midst of all of that barefoot and confused. All he knew was that he needed to be on his guard.

Harry glanced at his two best friends. He could still vividly see their faces from that night in his mind. Hermione, pale and worried but trying so hard to not look scared; Ron looking confused and frightened. The twins and Ginny looked worried as well but his mind was more focused on his two best friends even though he was worried about everyone. His main thought was that he needed to get away with them as fast as he could. His greatest fear had been that one of them would get hurt.

**Loud jeering, roars of laughter,**

"People were laughing?" Justin said looking disgusted.

"They're death eaters," Sirius spat. "What do you expect?"

"What's a death eater?" A first year Hufflepuff asked tentatively.

"A death eater is what the supporters of Voldemort are called," Harry answered without hesitation.

A few people looked at Lucius who sat stony faced.

**and drunken yells were drifting toward them; then came a burst of strong green light, which illuminated the scene.**

Many of the students gasped.

"The killing curse?" Hannah said, a hand going to her mouth.

"No," Amelia assured the students. "It was just a spell designed to look like the killing curse in order to install fear."

"Well it worked," Tonks said angrily.

**A crowd of wizards, tightly packed and moving together with wands pointing straight upward, was marching slowly across the field. Harry squinted at them… They didn't seem to have faces…**

"That's because they hide like cowards behind masks," Harry said loudly.

Lucius didn't outwardly react besides the slight tensing in his shoulders that most people wouldn't notice.

**Then he realized that their heads were hooded and their faces masked.**

"The typical death eater uniform," Remus said emotionless as he stared at the book. "It's what they wore during the first war."

**High above them, floating along in midair, four struggling figures were being contorted into grotesque shapes.**

Almost everyone looked disgusted.

"Are those people?" Rose asked horrified.

"Unfortunately," Arthur answered solemnly.

**It was as though the masked wizards on the ground were puppeteers,**

"Normally I like your descriptions but this..." Alicia trailed off with a look of revulsion on her face.

"How could anyone do that to another human being?" Katie said to no one in particular.

"Because death eaters are bastards who only care about themselves," Fred snarled.

Molly was too busy looking at the book worriedly and Arthur was too busy trying to keep her calm to say anything about their son's language.

**and the people above them were marionettes operated by invisible strings that rose from the wands into the air.**

A few girls had their hands clamped over their mouths.

"Now I'm glad I hadn't been there," Orla said quietly to herself.

**Two of the figures were very small.**

"Children?" Angelina exclaimed. "That's disgusting."

Molly and Andromeda both had tears in their eyes.

Molly closed her eyes as she felt her eyes become wet. She couldn't understand how some people could be so heartless, children were innocent; they had done nothing to deserve that.

**More wizards were joining the marching group, laughing and pointing up at the floating bodies.**

"Oh yes," George said angrily. "That's hilarious."

"So funny I forgot to laugh," Fred said in the same tone.

**Tents crumpled and fell as the marching crowd swelled.**

"People could've been in there!" Demelza exclaimed.

"They wouldn't have cared," Sirius said bitterly.

**Once or twice Harry saw one of the marchers blast a tent out of his way with his wand.**

"Bastards," Seamus said under his breath.

**Several caught fire. The screaming grew louder.**

"Those poor people," Alicia said quietly.

"You were fine right?" Harry asked Daphne quietly.

Daphne lifted her head off of her shoulder and nodded. "My parents got my sister, Tracey and I to the forest quickly. We were all scared but we were fine."

Harry nodded and kissed her forehead.

**The floating people were suddenly illuminated as they passed over a burning tent and Harry recognized one of them: Mr. Roberts, the campsite manager.**

"Tormenting muggles," Tonks said disgustedly. "Of course, that's considered a sport to them."

"Why would anyone do such a thing?" A first year asked with tears in her eyes.

One of the first years fellow Hufflepuffs, a fourth year, wrapped her arms around the crying girl.

"Because to death eaters muggles are less than nothing," Sirius said, venom lacing his voice.

**The other three looked as though they might be his wife and children.**

"They didn't do anything!" Katie exclaimed. "They're just innocent children!"

Harry felt anger rise in him as he re-lived that night over a year ago. It was because of Voldemort that all of this was happening. People were being murdered; innocent children were suffering all because of one mad man. He would do whatever it takes to rid the world of Voldemort once and for all.

**One of the marchers below flipped Mrs. Roberts upside down with his wand; her nightdress fell down to reveal voluminous drawers and she struggled to cover herself up as the crowd below her screeched and hooted with glee.**

The girls in the hall looked like they were going to throw up.

"That isn't funny," Justin said looking repulsed.

"That poor woman," Hannah said as her voice broke.

" **That's sick," Ron muttered, watching the smallest Muggle child, who had begun to spin like a top,**

A few people went wide eyed as others went pale.

**sixty feet above the ground, his head flopping limply from side to side. "That is really sick…"**

Almost every person in the hall looked disgusted, even a large majority of the Slytherins looked ill at the description.

"I couldn't ever hurt a child," Andromeda whispered almost brokenly. She closed her eyes as she tried to fight the tears. Her sister Bellatrix was a death eater; she was one of the worst death eaters. She had murdered people, tortured innocent children for fun. And Narcissa, she had never been capable of that kind of evil but she married a man who certainly was. She dreaded to think what would happen to her nephew, the nephew she had never met.

"They're just kids," Angelina whispered to herself. "They haven't done anything."

Draco grimaced before quickly slipping a mask into place. He knew he could never do that to a child, he didn't even want to be a death eater. He just knew that if he didn't the dark lord would make his parents suffer; he wouldn't let his mother get hurt just because he wouldn't take the mark. A part of him was wishing that his father would in fact be sent to Azkaban so that he and his mother could get away from the dark lord but another part of him was furious with himself for thinking that. His father may be a bastard but he was still his dad and he did love him.

Narcissa tried to keep her face void of all emotion. She had left right after the Quidditch World Cup and returned to Malfoy Manor. Her husband hadn't told her what he would be doing later that night. She wouldn't have allowed it, especially not with her son in attendance. She had been so happy when the Dark Lord had been vanquished by Harry Potter when he was an infant. It gave her husband the excuse they needed for him to not have to serve him. She didn't agree with murder and she definitely didn't agree with the torture of innocent children, not even muggle children. Thinking purebloods are superior is completely different than wanting them dead. She had been furious upon reading the Daily Prophet the following morning. Lucius had told her that he had been drunk and things had gotten out of hand but a large part of her didn't believe him.

**Hermione and Ginny came hurrying toward them, pulling coats over their nightdresses, with Mr. Weasley right behind them. At the same moment, Bill, Charlie, and Percy emerged from the boys' tent, fully dressed, with their sleeves rolled up and their wands out.**

Molly looked at her three eldest sons fearfully.

"We were fine mum," Bill assured her as he squeezed Fleur's hand. "Nothing more than small scratches."

"You could've-" Molly broke off and shook her head, she couldn't bring herself to say the word dead.

"We had to help mum," Charlie told her gently. "Fred, George, Ron, Ginny, Harry and Hermione were all there. Not to mention all of the other young and innocent people. We couldn't just stand by and do nothing or run away. We had to help them the best we could, the sons you raised don't run away from a fight."

"There's no way we would've stood by if our siblings were in danger," Bill said looking his mother in the eyes. "We're their older siblings and we'll protect them."

"And I work for the ministry dear it was my duty to help," Arthur said as he pulled his wife closer. "But even if I hadn't I still would've gone to help, it was the right thing to do."

Molly nodded as several tears fell down her cheeks, she understood why they went to help she just worried about them.

" **We're going to help the Ministry!" Mr. Weasley shouted over all the noise, rolling up his own sleeves. "You lot - get into the woods, and stick together. I'll come and fetch you when we've sorted this out!"**

"They'll be all alone," Molly said to herself as she buried her head in Arthur's shoulder.

"As long as they all stay together they should be fine," Remus said assuringly.

The trio, the twins and Ginny exchanged looks.

**Bill, Charlie, and Percy were already sprinting away toward the oncoming marchers;**

Fleur shot her boyfriend a worried look.

"I was fine," Bill quietly assured her. "I promise I had nothing more than a small cut."

**Mr. Weasley tore after them. Ministry wizards were dashing from every direction toward the source of the trouble.**

"We were trying to get people to safety and get the muggles down at the same time," Rufus said. "It was extremely hard with all of the shoving and panicking."

"And the fact that everyone was scared that the muggles would accidentally fall," Kingsley added.

**The crowd beneath the Roberts family was coming ever closer.**

"Get out of there," Alicia said worriedly.

"Why is it you're always in the middle of everything?" Sirius asked in exasperation.

Harry shrugged as best he could with Daphne still wrapped around him. "I've been asking myself that same question for years."

" **C'mon," said Fred, grabbing Ginny's hand and starting to pull her toward the wood.**

Arthur sent his son a grateful smile.

A few glanced at Fred; he was usually such a jokester it was hard to hear about him being serious.

"I can be serious you know," Fred said when he noticed all of the looks. "And I wasn't about to let my sister get trampled or attacked."

Fred didn't want to say it out loud but he had been terrified. He had heard storied about death eaters but he never thought he'd be near them like that. He saw them coming closer and heard the yelling getting louder and he just wanted to get his siblings and get out of there. He knew that Ron, Harry and Hermione would follow so he grabbed his sister to keep her near him and he ran. When he turned around several minutes later; his little brother and two people who were like siblings to him were gone. He can still remember the panic he felt as him and George yelled for Ron, Harry and Hermione. He could still see Ginny's horrified face and the sob that escaped her throat when George looked at him helplessly after almost fifteen minutes of trying to find their younger brother and his friends. And when he saw the dark mark appear in the sky he froze. He had overheard his older brothers talking about it before, but he never thought he'd see it. He had thought someone had died and his mind instantly went to Ron, Harry and Hermione. Once the noise died down they made their way to their tent, all of them hoping that the three fourteen year olds would be there but they weren't. He would never be able to express the relief he felt when they walked into the tent looking shaken but okay.

**Harry, Ron, Hermione, and George followed.**

"Good," Tonks said as her hand found its way into Remus'. "You all need to stick together."

**They all looked back as they reached the trees. The crowd beneath the Roberts family was larger than ever; they could see the Ministry wizards trying to get through it to the hooded wizards in the centre, but they were having great difficulty.**

The ministry workers who had been there nodded their heads.

**It looked as though they were scared to perform any spell that might make the Roberts family fall.**

"At least some people in the ministry have brains and can use them," Sirius muttered.

**The colored lanterns that had lit the path to the stadium had been extinguished. Dark figures were blundering through the trees; children were crying;**

By now even more girls had tears running down their eyes.

"It's weird you know?" Lily said in a sad voice. "You hear stories about the first war but we were all too young to understand it, they're just stories to us. And then you hear something like this and it makes you see just how real things are. If we're all crying and worrying just reading about it, just imagine how those who were there felt. You can't even begin to understand how someone feels just from reading about an experience. You can't really understand the pain, fear and worry just from reading a few words on a page. Some of those people probably thought that they were going to die, even though no one was throwing killing curses, no one actually knew that was the case."

The occupants in the hall looked thoughtful at the Slytherin's words. Those who hadn't been at the World Cup would never be able to understand how those who had been there had felt. It was true what she said and it applied to more than just this chapter. No one but Harry would understand what it was like to be famous for having survived the killing curse, to be the entire wizarding world's scape goat. No one would understand what it was like to have a connection to the most feared dark lord in centuries. No one else would know what it was like to hear echoes of their mothers' last words before she was cruelly and unrepentantly murdered.

**anxious shouts and panicked voices were reverberating around them in the cold night air.**

"I heard parents yelling for their kids," Tracey said solemnly.

"And kids yelling for their parents," Astoria said as she tried to keep her emotions in check.

**Harry felt himself being pushed hither and thither by people whose faces he could not see.**

"That's how people get hurt," Hermione said shaking her head.

"Yes," Tonks agreed. "But people were scared and panicking."

**Then he heard Ron yell with pain.**

"What?" All of the Weasley's said instantly.

"I thought you said he hadn't been hurt?" Molly demanded frantically as her head shot off her husband's shoulder.

"I wasn't!" Ron said quickly when he noticed his family's worried looks.

Molly looked more worried than ever so Bill quickly read on.

" **What happened?" said Hermione anxiously, stopping so abruptly that Harry walked into her.**

"Sorry," Hermione said quietly.

"Don't apologize," Harry said just as quietly.

**"Ron, where are you? Oh this is stupid - lumos!"**

"Using magic outside of school," Umbridge said in her sickly sweet voice.

Almost every person in the hall turned to glare at Umbridge. Harry and Ron were glaring at her as though willing her to explode.

"Students are allowed to use magic in life threatening situations," Amelia said tersely. "I think anyone would consider this a life threatening situation."

"I agree with Amelia," Rufus said as he frowned at the woman.

Umbridge looked like she had sucked on a sour lemon.

**She illuminated her wand and directed its narrow beam across the path. Ron was lying sprawled on the ground.**

Ron began to turn red.

" **Tripped over a tree root," he said angrily, getting to his feet again.**

Pansy Parkinson snickered causing a large majority of the hall to glare at her.

Harry was surprised to see that Draco wasn't laughing; he looked like he was lost in thought.

" **Well, with feet that size, hard not to," said a drawling voice from behind them.**

"Malfoy." Several people said with glances towards the Malfoy heir.

Narcissa frowned, that didn't sound like her Draco.

**Harry, Ron, and Hermione turned sharply. Draco Malfoy was standing alone nearby, leaning against a tree, looking utterly relaxed.**

"Probably because his dad's one of the death eaters," Sirius said darkly.

"How dare you insinuate such a thing?" Umbridge said in a loud demanding voice. "Lucius Malfoy is a respected member of society."

Sirius snorted. "If respected member of society means murdering bastard than yeah."

People seemed to have forgotten Lucius was in the room as they looked back in forth between Umbridge and Sirius.

"You're the murderer!" Umbridge said causing the students to send her incredulous looks.

"He was framed as you very well know," Harry said angrily. He wasn't going to sit by and let her talk to his godfather like that.

"He still tried to kill Peter Pettigrew," Umbridge reminded the hall.

"But he didn't!" Harry said furiously as he disentangled himself from Daphne and stood up. "So why don't you keep your large m-"

"Harry!" Hermione and Molly yelled. Hermione was sending a worried look towards the other ministry workers.

"What?" Harry spat. "She's just trying to stir up problems because she has nothing better to do!"

"Harry, please sit down," Hermione said as she tugged at his sleeve.

Harry continued to stand glaring at Umbridge who had narrowed her eyes at him but she also had a triumphant look on her face.

The professors were giving Umbridge looks of loathing while Dumbledore had his eyes closed. Amelia and Rufus were both frowning at the undersecretary and their eyes said they greatly disapproved.

"Harry," Sirius said. "It's fine."

"No it isn't," Harry snarled.

"Harry, please take your seat," Dumbledore said in a calm grandfatherly tone.

"Harry," Daphne said quietly.

Harry's head snapped to her, she looked worried. He then turned to Hermione who had tears in her eyes and he sighed.

"Sorry Mione," he said as he took his seat and hugged his best friend. "I lost my temper."

Hermione nodded as she buried her head in his shoulder, he had looked beyond reason for a minute and it scared her.

"Are you okay mate?" Ron asked worriedly.

"I'm fine," Harry assured him before turning to Daphne.

"Don't let her get to you; that's exactly what she wants," Daphne whispered into his ear as she wrapped her arms around his neck.

Harry was sent covert glances by several of the students who were shocked to see his outburst.

Bill glanced at Harry with a worried look before he began to read again.

**His arms folded, he seemed to have been watching the scene at the campsite through a gap in the trees.**

"You just watched it?" Astoria asked looking sick. "Why am I not surprised?"

Draco was pulled out of his thoughts when he heard the third year Slytherin talking.

**Ron told Malfoy to do something that Harry knew he would never have dared say in front of Mrs. Weasley.**

Draco glared at Ron who smirked back.

Molly was too worried to say anything.

" **Language, Weasley," said Malfoy, his pale eyes glittering. "Hadn't you better be hurrying along, now? You wouldn't like** _ **her**_ **spotted, would you?"**

"What's that supposed to mean?" Several of Hermione's friends demanded.

"He means she's a mud-muggleborn," Pansy said pompously.

"You can't tell if someone's a muggleborn by looking at them!" Angelina said angrily.

Pansy sneered while Draco tried to ignore all of the glares he was receiving.

Narcissa looked at her son and frowned, he wasn't acting like the son she raised. _'He's spent too much time around Lucius; I hope he hasn't picked up some of his other habits.'_ She did believe that purebloods were better but unlike her husband and most of her family she didn't think they should be tortured and killed. However she needed to maintain a mask especially now that the Dark Lord was back.

**He nodded at Hermione, and at the same moment, a blast like a bomb sounded from the campsite, and a flash of green light momentarily lit the trees around them.**

Even though they knew it wasn't the killing curse a few people flinched.

" **What's that supposed to mean?" said Hermione defiantly.**

"Good Hermione," Sirius said approvingly. "Don't let him get to you."

" **Granger, they're after** _ **Muggles**_ **," said Malfoy.**

"Hermione's a witch," Neville said with a defiant look at Draco surprising a lot of people.

"Hermione isn't a muggle!" Katie, Alicia and Angelina shouted.

"You'd better not be threatening her Malfoy," Charlie growled.

**"D'you want to be showing off your knickers in midair? Because if you do, hang around… they're moving this way, and it would give us all a laugh."**

Almost every student in the hall was glaring at Draco.

Harry and Ron each grabbed one of Hermione's hands. Daphne noticed the gesture but she didn't mind, if it would've been anyone else she would've but she could tell that Harry saw her like a sister so it didn't bother her.

Dumbledore internally sighed; he didn't like seeing young people being corrupted by evil. He hoped that for Draco's sake it wasn't too late for him to change for the better.

The adults had looks of extreme disapproval on their faces.

"Mr. Malfoy!" Every teacher except for Snape and Umbridge yelled.

"That's low even for you," Lily said as she glared at Draco.

"That's disgusting," Tracey said.

"You're sick," Astoria said looking green.

Draco didn't know why but Astoria's words bothered him more than anyone else's and he barely knew her.

" **Hermione's a witch," Harry snarled.**

"A very talented witch," McGonagall said through pursed lips.

" **Have it your own way, Potter," said Malfoy, grinning maliciously.**

"Horrible," Tracey said shaking her head.

Narcissa wanted to reprimand her son but she knew it wasn't proper to do it in public.

"Narcissa raised a real winner didn't she?" Sirius asked lowly to his cousin Andromeda.

Andromeda felt her stomach squirm, she didn't know Draco but she didn't want him to turn out like his father.

**"If you think they can't spot a Mudblood, stay where you are."**

The glares intensified at the use of the word mudblood.

"Stupid ferret," Ron growled.

"They can't spot someone because they're a muggleborn," Ernie said indignantly.

"Malfoy's just trying to scare them," Wayne said.

" **You watch your mouth!" shouted Ron.**

"Ron," Bill looked up from the book to say. "I'm glad you want to defend your friend but it isn't a good idea to start another fight in the midst of all of that."

"He's right son," Arthur said seriously. "You were all in enough danger without causing another fight."

Ron nodded stiffly.

**Everybody present knew that "Mudblood" was a very offensive term for a witch or wizard of Muggle parentage.**

"It's worse than offensive it's beyond horrible," Megan said glaring at the book.

" **Never mind, Ron," said Hermione quickly, seizing Ron's arm to restrain him as he took a step toward Malfoy.**

"At least someone is using their brain," Moody said as he took a sip from his hip flask.

**There came a bang from the other side of the trees that was louder than anything they had heard several people nearby screamed.**

"Get out of there," Molly said worriedly.

**Malfoy chuckled softly.**

"I must've missed something because nothing anyone said in this chapter has been funny," Fred said bitterly.

"I must've missed it too," George said stonily.

" **Scare easily, don't they?" he said lazily.**

"Sick prat," Seamus muttered.

"He's awful," Dean said.

Narcissa now more than ever wanted to say something to her son but she refrained from doing so. She didn't raise her son to laugh at the pain of innocent children.

" **I suppose your daddy told you all to hide? What's he up to - trying to rescue the Muggles?"**

"Yes," Ron snarled. "Because unlike your father; mine isn't a bastard!"

Lucius glared at the youngest male Weasley.

"Ron!" Molly yelled wide eyed.

Ron just shrugged; it wasn't like Lucius could do anything to him in a room filled with a thousand people.

" **Where're** _ **your**_ **parents?" said Harry, his temper rising.**

"Now even Harry's getting mad," Neville said. "This isn't good."

" **Out there wearing masks, are they?"**

"Lucius will be," Moody said quietly to Kingsley who nodded.

"Yes." Several people said simply.

Fudge once more shifted uncomfortably, if Lucius did turn out to be a death eater, well he didn't even want to think about that until it came down to it.

"Narcissa wouldn't be," Sirius said, shocking almost everyone in the hall. "What?" Sirius shrugged. "Being a death eater was never in the cards for her."

Narcissa stared stonily ahead as almost everyone glanced at her. She wasn't going to admit it but it felt good for her cousin to defend her, even if it wasn't in a big way. Especially after everything she'd done to him.

**Malfoy turned his face to Harry, still smiling.**

" **Well…if they were, I wouldn't be likely to tell you, would I, Potter?"**

Several people snorted as Lucius turned narrowed eyes to his son.

"That's basically a yes," Seamus said rolling his eyes.

 _'That boy needs to learn to keep his mouth shut.'_ Lucius thought angrily. He did love his son but he thought Draco was too loud and not very Malfoy like, he had always been more of a Black. He glanced at the minister who was pale and looking at the book warily. He then turned towards the aurors, and Rufus who was the head of the auror department. All of them were looking intently at the book, as was Amelia. He didn't even bother to spare a look for the wand maker. He was beginning to regret coming here, although he didn't have a choice. If they found out he was a death eater he would be ruined and he couldn't have that.

" **Oh come on," said Hermione, with a disgusted look at Malfoy, "let's go and find the others."**

"Wait," Molly said, her head snapping towards the trio. "You lost Fred, George and Ginny?"

"Yes." The trio answered.

"Did you know they had been separated?" Molly demanded of her husband. He grimaced so she took that as a yes, she turned to her oldest sons who wouldn't look at her. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because they were fine," Arthur said in a soothing voice.

Molly looked like she was about to start hyperventilating so Arthur tried to calm her down.

"You guys got separated?" Tonks asked with a groan.

Remus pinched the bridge of his nose.

"We were fine," Harry assured everyone. He still felt angry at Umbridge but it was slowly fading.

" **Keep that big bushy head down, Granger," sneered Malfoy.**

"Great insult," Dean said sarcastically.

"In his own way he's trying to warn her," Luna said in a dreamy voice.

"Excuse me?" Ron said incredulously.

"He didn't have to say that, but he did," Luna said as she stared into the ceiling above, white clouds with hints of gray were swirling around. "In his own way he was actually trying to get you three to get away from the death eaters."

Most of the hall took this as a joke or Luna just being Luna but Harry looked at Draco. The Slytherin was looking at Luna with an unreadable expression.

 _'Did Draco really not want Hermione to get hurt?'_ Harry thought as he shook his head; Draco could be so confusing sometimes.

Draco was watching Luna, the girl hadn't been completely wrong. It wasn't that he liked Hermione because he didn't; he thought she was nothing more than a bushy haired know-it-all. But he didn't want to see her tortured by death eaters.

" **Come** _ **on**_ **," Hermione repeated, and she pulled Harry and Ron up the path again.**

" **I'll bet you anything his dad** _ **is**_ **one of that masked lot!" said Ron hotly.**

"He was," Harry said under his breath.

" **Well, with any luck, the Ministry will catch him!" said Hermione fervently.**

"The ministry is in his pocket," Harry reminded her quietly. "That won't happen until it comes out that he's a death eater in these books."

Ron smirked. "There's no way he'll stay out of jail this time," he said lowly.

**"Oh I can't believe this. Where have the others got to?"**

"We were fine mum," Fred said quickly when his mother looked at them.

"We found a group of people and stayed with them until the noise died down," George explained.

**Fred, George, and Ginny were nowhere to be seen, though the path was packed with plenty of other people,**

"No one was even watching where they were going," Hermione said. "They just wanted to get as far away as possible from the death eaters."

"I don't blame them," Alicia said.

**all looking nervously over their shoulders toward the commotion back at the campsite.**

"Why didn't people apparate?" Neville asked looking slightly confused. "The adults could've apparated the children out."

"I'm not sure," Arthur said frowning. "I think everyone was too busy panicking to think straight."

"Those who were thinking straight and were capable went to help the muggles," Charlie added.

**A huddle of teenagers in pajamas was arguing vociferously a little way along the path. When they saw Harry, Ron, and Hermione, a girl with thick curly hair turned and said quickly, "** _**Où est Madame Maxime? Nous l'avons perdue -** _ **"**

"Beauxbatons," Hannah said frowning. "This was in August, why would they be asking for their head mistress."

"We went to the World Cup for a school summer trip," Fleur explained.

"I wish Hogwarts did that," Justin muttered.

" **Er - what?" said Ron.**

" **Oh…" The girl who had spoken turned her back on him, and as they walked on they distinctly heard her say, "Ogwarts."**

A few girls rolled their eyes.

"Just walking away like that is sort of rude," Sally-Anne said under her breath.

" **Beauxbatons," muttered Hermione.**

**"Sorry?" said Harry.**

"I had never heard of it before," Harry said to the looks he was receiving.

"That's not really that surprising," Alicia said in his defense. "Rarely anyone from England attends Beauxbatons so if you're raised in the muggle world, chances are unless you've read about it you wouldn't know what it is."

" **They must go to Beauxbatons," said Hermione. "You know… Beauxbatons Academy of Magic…I read about it in** _ **An Appraisal of Magical Education in Europe**_ **."**

"Of course you did," Ron said quietly but not quietly enough because Hermione glared at him.

"Just because you won't read anything other than books on quidditch it doesn't mean-" Hermione began but she was cut off.

"Now isn't the time," Remus said seriously.

Hermione looked around the hall at all of the anxious and worried faces and fell silent, she pulled the hand holding Ron's away.

" **Oh… yeah… right," said Harry.**

The twins snorted.

" **Fred and George can't have gone that far," said Ron, pulling out his wand, lighting it like Hermione's, and squinting up the path.**

"What about me?" Ginny asked annoyed.

"I knew you'd be with them," Ron said.

"Right," Ginny rolled her eyes.

**Harry dug in the pockets of his jacket for his own wand - but it wasn't there.**

All around the hall people yelled, "What?"

"You lost your wand?" Molly practically shrieked. "Why didn't you tell me Arthur?"

While Arthur was placating his wife others were groaning or exchanging worried looks.

"Of course you did," Sirius groaned.

"You have the worst luck," Seamus said seriously.

"This isn't good," Neville said quietly.

 _'Idiot boy.'_ Snape thought.

"You should always keep your wand on you!" Moody barked.

"I didn't lose it on purpose," Harry said slightly annoyed by all the comments.

**The only thing he could find was his Omnioculars.**

"Those will be a big help," Fred said sarcastically.

" **Ah, no, I don't believe it…I've lost my wand!"**

" **You're kidding!"**

"I wish he was," Remus said as he rubbed his temples.

"I don't think Harry would joke about something like that," Neville pointed out.

"I wouldn't," Harry assured everyone.

**Ron and Hermione raised their wands high enough to spread the narrow beams of light farther on the ground; Harry looked all around him, but his wand was nowhere to be seen.**

Harry glared at the table. _'Bloody death eater.'_

Daphne was looking worriedly at Harry.

" **Maybe it's back in the tent," said Ron.**

"It won't do him any good if it is," Dean said.

"You of all people should have your wand at all times," Tonks said seriously.

Harry gritted his teeth, it wasn't his fault a slimy death eater stole it from his pocket.

" **Maybe it fell out of your pocket when we were running?" Hermione suggested anxiously.**

"Constant Vigilance!" Moody yelled. "It shouldn't have been in your pocket, it should've been in your hand."

" **Yeah," said Harry, "maybe…"**

Harry was trying hard not to snap at all the looks he was receiving.

**He usually kept his wand with him at all times in the wizarding world,**

Mad-Eye nodded approvingly. "Good."

**and finding himself without it in the midst of a scene like this made him feel very vulnerable.**

"It would make anyone feel vulnerable," Ted said. "I wouldn't want to be in a situation like that without a wand."

"I feel uncomfortable without my wand on a normal day," Tonks said.

**A rustling noise nearby made all three of them jump.**

The hall tensed again.

"What now?" Susan groaned.

**Winky the house-elf was fighting her way out of a clump of bushes nearby.**

The hall relaxed somewhat.

"It's just the house elf," Ernie said in relief.

The trio exchanged dark looks; it hadn't just been a house elf.

**She was moving in a most peculiar fashion, apparently with great difficulty; it was as though someone invisible were trying to hold her back.**

"What?" Susan frowned. "That's odd."

Amelia and the aurors all agreed with Susan.

 _'Something is definitely off there.'_ Amelia thought.

" **There is bad wizards about!" she squeaked distractedly as she leaned forward and labored to keep running. "People high - high in the air! Winky is getting out of the way!"**

"Smart," Adrian Pucey said dryly.

**And she disappeared into the trees on the other side of the path, panting and squeaking as she fought the force that was restraining her.**

More people frowned this time.

"Something is off with her," Terry said slowly.

"That is off behavior," Anthony said. "Even for a house elf."

" **What's up with her?" said Ron, looking curiously after Winky. "Why can't she run properly?"**

"That's what I'd like to know," Rufus said looking thoughtful.

" **Bet she didn't ask permission to hide," said Harry.**

"Could that be why she's acting odd?" Hannah asked.

"It could be," Susan said slowly, but it sounded like she didn't think that was why.

**He was thinking of Dobby: Every time he had tried to do something the Malfoys wouldn't like, the house-elf had been forced to start beating himself up.**

Hermione looked furious at the reminder.

A few people glared at Malfoy Sr, surprisingly their glares were directed at Lucius only.

" **You know, house-elves get a very raw deal!" said Hermione indignantly.**

"Here we go," Zacharias muttered. He had heard her ranting about house elf rights before.

**"It's slavery, that's what it is! That Mr. Crouch made her go up to the top of the stadium, and she was terrified, and he's got her bewitched so she can't even run when they start trampling tents! Why doesn't anyone** _**do** _ **something about it?"**

Several people groaned.

"Hermione now isn't the time," Charlie said sounding exasperated.

"It really isn't the time," Sirius said in the same tone.

" **Well, the elves are happy, aren't they?" Ron said. "You heard old Winky back at the match…'House-elves is not supposed to have fun'…that's what she likes, being bossed around…"**

Hermione glared at Ron who turned red.

"You're having a debate about house elves in the middle of a riot," Remus said in a voice that said he was praying for patience.

" **It's people like** _ **you**_ **, Ron," Hermione began hotly, "who prop up rotten and unjust systems, just because they're too lazy to -"**

Ron glared at Hermione.

**Another loud bang echoed from the edge of the wood.**

"Just keep moving," Alicia said. "You should get further away from the death eaters.

" **Let's just keep moving, shall we?" said Ron, and Harry saw him glance edgily at Hermione. Perhaps there was truth in what Malfoy had said; perhaps Hermione** _ **was**_ **in more danger than they were.**

"Only if they knew she was a muggleborn," Tonks said. "And they wouldn't be able to tell she was one by looking at her."

"No," Harry said. "But there are death eaters who know who she is." He glanced at Lucius who sneered.

**They set off again, Harry still searching his pockets, even though he knew his wand wasn't there.**

"I didn't want to believe I didn't have my wand on me," Harry said.

**They followed the dark path deeper into the woods, still keeping an eye out for Fred, George, and Ginny. They passed a group of goblins who were cackling over a sack of gold that they had undoubtedly won betting on the match,**

"They're worrying about gold in a time like that?" Hannah asked shocked.

"They're goblins," Ernie said simply.

**and who seemed quite unperturbed by the trouble at the campsite.**

Bill stopped reading and rolled his eyes. "They probably weren't bothered in the slightest." At the confused looks he elaborated. "Goblins don't care about the affairs of wizards and they can definitely take care of themselves."

**Farther still along the path, they walked into a patch of silvery light, and when they looked through the trees, they saw three tall and beautiful veela standing in a clearing, surrounded by a gaggle of young wizards, all of whom were talking very loudly.**

Several girls pursed their lips.

"This isn't the time for guys to be trying to impress veela," Ginny said annoyed.

" **I pull down about a hundred sacks of Galleons a year!" one of them shouted.**

A few people snorted.

**"I'm a dragon killer for the Committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures."**

Charlie narrowed his eyes at the book.

Hagrid looked horrified.

" **No, you're not!" yelled his friend. "You're a dishwasher at the Leaky Cauldron…**

Several people exchanged amused looks.

**but I'm a vampire hunter, I've killed about ninety so far -"**

"Are these vampires imaginary?" Jimmy snickered.

The girls in Jimmy's year glared at him, they didn't think it was the time to joke.

**A third young wizard, whose pimples were visible even by the dim, silvery light of the veela, now cut in, "I'm about to become the youngest ever Minister of Magic, I am."**

More snorts rang around the hall.

"Whoever he is would probably be better than Fudge," Sirius said under his breath.

**Harry snorted with laughter. He recognized the pimply wizard: His name was Stan Shunpike, and he was in fact a conductor on the triple-decker Knight Bus.**

"Oh, I can definitely see him being the Minister of Magic," Fred said rolling his eyes.

"Better than Fudge," Dean mumbled.

**He turned to tell Ron this, but Ron's face had gone oddly slack, and next second Ron was yelling, "Did I tell you I've invented a broomstick that'll reach Jupiter?"**

Ron turned red as people sent him amused looks.

" _ **Honestly**_ **!" said Hermione, and she and Harry grabbed Ron firmly by the arms, wheeled him around, and marched him away.**

"How come they didn't affect Harry?" Hannah asked. "They had earlier."

"His will is most likely stronger," Remus said. "It's like resisting the imperius curse."

**By the time the sounds of the veela and their admirers had faded completely, they were in the very heart of the wood. They seemed to be alone now; everything was much quieter.**

"At least you're away from the death eaters," Lavender said in relief.

"But now they're alone," Parvati said frowning.

**Harry looked around. "I reckon we can just wait here, you know. We'll hear anyone coming a mile off."**

"That's true," Sirius said. "You'd hear branches breaking."

**The words were hardly out of his mouth, when Ludo Bagman emerged from behind a tree right ahead of them.**

"What's Bagman doing in there?" Oliver asked bemused.

Amelia and Rufus exchanged looks.

Both of Moody's eyes were focused on the book.

**Even by the feeble light of the two wands, Harry could see that a great change had come over Bagman. He no longer looked buoyant and rosy-faced; there was no more spring in his step. He looked very white and strained.**

"Well there is a riot going on," Sirius said dryly. "That would make anyone look strained."

"I don't think he knows about the riot Padfoot," Remus said frowning.

"How could anyone within ten miles not know about the riot?" Sirius asked incredulously.

Remus didn't have an answer for him.

 _'He's worried about the goblins.'_ Harry thought.

" **Who's that?" he said, blinking down at them, trying to make out their faces. "What are you doing in here, all alone?"**

"He doesn't know about the riot," Hannah pointed out the obvious.

"That's odd," Susan said looking thoughtful.

**They looked at one another, surprised.**

" **Well - there's a sort of riot going on," said Ron.**

"Straight to the point," Moody said.

**Bagman stared at him.**

" **What?"**

"There's a riot you daft idiot," a fifth year Ravenclaw said.

Those who liked Bagman glared at her.

" **At the campsite… some people have got hold of a family of Muggles…"**

"Don't remind us," a second year whimpered.

**Bagman swore loudly.**

"There were children present," Molly said disapprovingly.

"I think a few curse words are the least of their problems mum," Charlie reminded her.

" **Damn them!" he said, looking quite distracted, and without another word, he Disapparated with a small** _ **pop**_ **!**

"He's not exactly on top of things," Susan said frowning.

" **Not exactly on top of things, Mr. Bagman, is he?" said Hermione, frowning.**

Percy also frowned, there was something going on with Bagman.

Bill meanwhile had a feeling he knew what it was. He had heard that Bagman got into debt with the goblins.

" **He was a great Beater, though," said Ron,**

Oliver nodded vigorously.

**leading the way off the path into a small clearing, and sitting down on a patch of dry grass at the foot of a tree. "The Wimbourne Wasps won the league three times in a row while he was with them."**

"Just because he was a good quidditch player doesn't mean he'd make a good department head," Arthur told his son.

**He took his small figure of Krum out of his pocket, set it down on the ground, and watched it walk around.**

The twins snickered while Ron glared at them.

**Like the real Krum, the model was slightly duck-footed and round-shouldered, much less impressive on his splayed feet than on his broomstick.**

Harry avoided look at Viktor when that sentence was read out.

**Harry was listening for noise from the campsite.**

"Good," Moody said approvingly. "Like I said before, you'd make a great auror."

The other aurors and Amelia nodded in agreement.

Umbridge had a look of annoyance on her face at Moody's words. _'The man's mad, he'd probably think a centaur would make a good auror.'_

**Everything seemed much quieter; perhaps the riot was over.**

"Why do I have the feeling that something's going to happen," Hannah said quietly to her friends.

"Because if we've learned anything from reading these books, it's that Harry's always in the wrong place at the wrong time," Justin said bluntly.

" **I hope the others are okay," said Hermione after a while.**

"We were fine," George assured her.

"Just a little shaken," Ginny said with a sidelong glance at Harry.

Hermione noticed the look and frowned.

" **They'll be fine," said Ron.**

" **Imagine if your dad catches Lucius Malfoy," said Harry,**

 _'He would've loved that.'_ All of the Weasley children thought.

Lucius sneered. _'Like that fool could ever catch me.'_

Umbridge sniffed. _'They need to learn not to speak ill of their betters.'_

**sitting down next to Ron and watching the small figure of Krum slouching over the fallen leaves. "He's always said he'd like to get something on him."**

Lucius and Arthur glared at each other, the Weasley patriarch's glare surprised several people.

" **That'd wipe the smirk off old Draco's face, all right," said Ron.**

Draco glared at Ron who glared back.

" **Those poor Muggles, though," said Hermione nervously. "What if they can't get them down?"**

"They will," Tonks said reassuringly.

" **They will," said Ron reassuringly. "They'll find a way."**

" **Mad, though, to do something like that when the whole Ministry of Magic's out here tonight!" said Hermione. "I mean, how do they expect to get away with it?**

"Because they're all capable of buying their way out," Sirius said bitterly.

The ministry workers besides Umbridge frowned; they didn't like the way the ministry was being run.

"Because they have the minister in their pockets," Harry said under his breath.

**Do you think they've been drinking, or are they just -"**

"They probably have," Remus said.

"And they probably just wanted a laugh," Sirius snarled.

**But she broke off abruptly and looked over her shoulder.**

"What now?" Alicia asked helplessly.

**Harry and Ron looked quickly around too. It sounded as though someone was staggering toward their clearing.**

The hall which had recently became less tense, tensed again.

"Please tell me it's just another house elf," Hannah said hopefully.

"I don't think so," Justin said when he saw the angry looks on the trios faces.

**They waited, listening to the sounds of the uneven steps behind the dark trees. But the footsteps came to a sudden halt.**

A few people cast worried looks at the trio.

" **Hello?" called Harry.**

**There was silence. Harry got to his feet and peered around the tree.**

"Please tell me that you didn't walk towards the noise?" Sirius said giving his godson a desperate look.

Harry stayed silent causing Sirius to groan.

**It was too dark to see very far, but he could sense somebody standing just beyond the range of his vision.**

"You have excellent senses," Rufus observed.

" **Who's there?" he said.**

"I have a feeling that it's nobody good," Susan said closing her eyes.

**And then, without warning, the silence was rent by a voice unlike any they had heard in the wood; and it uttered, not a panicked shout, but what sounded like a spell.**

The adults tensed; surely it wasn't going to be the dark mark, not so close to them?

" _ **MORSMORDRE!**_ **"**

"No!" Molly exclaimed as a few tears leaked from her eyes.

The adults paled, they hadn't known the trio had been so close.

"What's wrong?" Dean asked confused.

"That's the incantation for the dark mark," Sprout answered faintly.

The students looked both scared and worried with the exception of some Slytherins.

**And something vast, green, and glittering erupted from the patch of darkness Harry's eyes had been struggling to penetrate; it flew up over the treetops and into the sky.**

"No, no, no," Molly kept repeating under her breath. They had been so close to a death eater, too close.

Bill paled as he read; he hadn't known they'd been so close to the person who conjured the mark. Charlie and Percy exchanged looks, they hadn't known either.

" **What the -?" gasped Ron as he sprang to his feet again, staring up at the thing that had appeared.**

**For a split second, Harry thought it was another leprechaun formation.**

Harry ignored the incredulous and exasperated looks sent his way.

**Then he realized that it was a colossal skull, comprised of what looked like emerald stars, with a serpent protruding from its mouth like a tongue.**

"The dark mark," Alicia said wide eyed.

"So that's what it looks like," a second year muggleborn said under her breath.

**As they watched, it rose higher and higher, blazing in a haze of greenish smoke, etched against the black sky like a new constellation.**

"I don't like your vivid descriptions anymore," Hannah said, her face pale.

**Suddenly, the wood all around them erupted with screams.**

"The dark mark would no doubt cause panic," Remus said knowingly.

"Why?" Dennis asked.

The adults exchanged looks.

"During the first war if you came home and saw the dark mark hanging above your house you knew that whoever was inside was dead," Remus answered solemnly. "No one wanted to come home to that, it was very common to see during the first war."

Molly let out a choked sob as she thought about all the times it was on the front page of the paper all those years ago.

**Harry didn't understand why, but the only possible cause was the sudden appearance of the skull,**

Amelia nodded grimly.

**which had now risen high enough to illuminate the entire wood like some grisly neon sign.**

"Accurate description," Moody grunted.

**He scanned the darkness for the person who had conjured the skull, but he couldn't see anyone.**

"Good," Sirius said stiffly. "Hopefully they can't see you either."

" **Who's there?" he called again.**

"Just run!" Several people yelled.

" **Harry, come on,** _ **move**_ **!" Hermione had seized the collar of his jacket and was tugging him backward.**

"Good Granger," Moody said approvingly.

" **What's the matter?" Harry said, startled to see her face so white and terrified.**

"You knew what the sign was?" Tonks asked slightly surprised.

"Yeah," Hermione answered. "I saw it in a book."

"Of course she did," Pansy said under her breath.

" **It's the Dark Mark, Harry!" Hermione moaned, pulling him as hard as she could. "You-Know-Who's sign!"**

"I take it you didn't know?" A seventh year Ravenclaw asked.

Harry shook his head no.

" _ **Voldemort's**_ **–"**

"Just go," Alicia said worriedly.

"Ask questions later," Katie urged desperately.

" **Harry, come** _ **on**_ **!"**

**Harry turned - Ron was hurriedly scooping up his miniature Krum -**

Ron scowled; he should've just left it there.

"Forget the figurine and run!" Charlie said exasperated.

**the three of them started across the clearing - but before they had taken a few hurried steps, a series of popping noises announced the arrival of twenty wizards, appearing from thin air, surrounding them.**

More groans were heard around the hall.

"I really hope it's the good guys," Hannah said as she hid her face in her hands.

"I wouldn't exactly call the ministry the good guys," Ron muttered.

**Harry whirled around, and in an instant, he registered one fact: Each of these wizards had his wand out, and every wand was pointing right at himself, Ron, and Hermione.**

"You're definitely auror potential," Moody said.

Rufus looked at Harry appraisingly.

 _'As long as I have a say he won't step foot in the ministry unless it's to be tried.'_ Umbridge thought scathingly.

**Without pausing to think, he yelled, "DUCK!"**

"Good." Several people said.

**He seized the other two and pulled them down onto the ground.**

"You have amazing reflexes," Tonks praised.

"Thanks Harry," Hermione said sincerely.

"Thanks mate," Ron said.

"No problem," Harry assured them.

" _ **STUPEFY!**_ **" roared twenty voices - there was a blinding series of flashes and Harry felt the hair on his head ripple as though a powerful wind had swept the clearing.**

"That could've hurt them," Tonks said frowning.

"They're just stunners," Dean said bewildered.

"If more than one stunner hits you it increases the power," Tonks explained. "I wouldn't want to think what would have happened if twenty stunners were to hit them."

"Thank Merlin for Harry's quick reflexes," Charlie said gratefully.

Molly, Arthur, Remus and Sirius looked like they completely agreed with Charlie's words.

**Raising his head a fraction of an inch he saw jets of fiery red light flying over them from the wizards' wands, crossing one another, bouncing off tree trunks, rebounding into the darkness—**

"It would've been funny if they stunned each other," Fred whispered to his twin who snickered at the image.

" **Stop!" yelled a voice he recognized. "STOP!** _ **That's my son!**_ **"**

Molly looked relieved. "Oh thank goodness you're there."

**Harry's hair stopped blowing about. He raised his head a little higher. The wizard in front of him had lowered his wand. He rolled over and saw Mr. Weasley striding toward them, looking terrified.**

"As a parent you think of the worst," Arthur admitted.

The adults in the hall who were parents nodded their heads.

" **Ron - Harry" - his voice sounded shaky - "Hermione - are you all right?"**

"No," Ron scowled. "A bunch of idiots were trying to stun us."

" **Out of the way, Arthur," said a cold, curt voice.**

"That's rude," Luna said frowning.

**It was Mr. Crouch.**

Sirius growled while Remus narrowed his eyes at the book.

"Well, it looks like things are just going to get better," Tonks said sarcastically.

**He and the other Ministry wizards were closing in on them. Harry got to his feet to face them. Mr. Crouch's face was taut with rage.**

" **Which of you did it?" he snapped, his sharp eyes darting between them.**

Amelia rubbed her forehead. Barty used to be a brilliant ministry employee until he became obsessed.

**"Which of you conjured the Dark Mark?"**

"What?" The hall yelled.

"They think one of them did it?" A seventh year demanded. "They were only fourteen!"

"Not to mention one of them is Harry Potter," Roger said giving the book an incredulous look.

"And another is a muggleborn," Angelina said. "Last time I checked muggleborns weren't death eaters."

"Crouch doesn't care who he blames," Sirius snarled. "As long as he gets someone."

" **We didn't do that!" said Harry, gesturing up at the skull.**

" **We didn't do anything!" said Ron, who was rubbing his elbow and looking indignantly at his father. "What did you want to attack us for?"**

"They were well within their rights," Umbridge said oblivious to the death glares being sent towards her. "You three seemed suspicious."

"Suspicious?" Ron demanded. "We were standing there!"

"They weren't doing anything," Alicia said indignantly.

"They were found at the scene of the crime," Umbridge simpered.

"They're children," McGonagall said as her nostrils flared. She didn't know how much more of that woman she could take.

Umbridge went to open her mouth but Fudge cut her off. "Enough Dolores."

" **Do not lie, sir!" shouted Mr. Crouch. His wand was still pointing directly at Ron, and his eyes were popping -**

All of the Weasley's had their eyes narrowed at the book.

"Don't point your wand at him," Charlie snapped. "He's only fourteen."

**he looked slightly mad.**

Sirius muttered something unintelligible under his breath.

" **You have been discovered at the scene of the crime!"**

"That doesn't mean they did it," Dean said angrily.

"The ministry will blame whoever they want," Sirius said bitterly. "They don't even need proof."

Fudge shifted uncomfortably.

" **Barty," whispered a witch in a long woolen dressing gown, "they're kids, Barty, they'd never have been able to."**

"At least someone has a brain," Sirius muttered.

" **Where did the Mark come from, you three?" said Mr. Weasley quickly.**

" **Over there," said Hermione shakily, pointing at the place where they had heard the voice.**

"Poor dears," Andromeda said quietly to her husband. "They were probably terrified."

**"There was someone behind the trees… they shouted words – an incantation -"**

" **Oh, stood over there, did they?" said Mr. Crouch, turning his popping eyes on Hermione now, disbelief etched all over his face. "Said an incantation, did they? You seem very well informed about how that Mark is summoned, missy-"**

"You've got to be kidding me," Tonks said in exasperation. "She heard it for Merlin's sake!"

"He's ridiculous," Eleanor said shaking her head.

**But none of the Ministry wizards apart from Mr. Crouch seemed to think it remotely likely that Harry, Ron, or Hermione had conjured the skull;**

"Thank goodness," Andromeda said.

"No one with half a brain would think a fourteen year old conjured it," Sirius said quietly to Remus.

**on the contrary, at Hermione's words, they had all raised their wands again and were pointing in the direction she had indicated, squinting through the dark trees.**

"Be alert," Moody said as his magical eye swiveled around.

" **We're too late," said the witch in the woolen dressing gown, shaking her head. "They'll have Disapparated."**

"Or they were hit by one of the stunners," Susan said.

"That's a possibility," Remus said.

" **I don't think so," said a wizard with a scrubby brown beard. It was Amos Diggory, Cedric's father. "Our Stunners went right through those trees…There's a good chance we got them…"**

Hermione glared at the book, she knew what was coming next.

" **Amos, be careful!" said a few of the wizards warningly as Mr. Diggory squared his shoulders, raised his wand, marched across the clearing, and disappeared into the darkness.**

"He shouldn't have gone by himself," Stewart said. "With all those people someone should've gone with him."

**Hermione watched him vanish with her hands over her mouth.**

"I was worried," Hermione said quietly.

**A few seconds later, they heard Mr. Diggory shout.**

"What's wrong?" Several people asked.

Bill continued reading before anyone could say anything else.

" **Yes! We got them! There's someone here! Unconscious! It's - but – blimey…"**

Harry and Ron exchanged looks, they both hoped Hermione didn't go on a rant.

" **You've got someone?" shouted Mr. Crouch, sounding highly disbelieving. "Who? Who is it?"**

'He was most likely worried Mr. Diggory had captured his son.' Harry thought.

**They heard snapping twigs, the rustling of leaves, and then crunching footsteps as Mr. Diggory re-emerged from behind the trees. He was carrying a tiny, limp figure in his arms. Harry recognized the tea towel at once. It was Winky.**

The students looked shocked, incredulous or confused.

The adults frowned, that couldn't have been a house elf.

"What?" Susan said frowning. "There's no way that it was her."

"It couldn't have been a house elf," Ernie said.

**Mr. Crouch did not move or speak as Mr. Diggory deposited his elf on the ground at his feet.**

"Oh, I almost forgot that Winky was Mr. Crouch's elf," Susan said quietly to herself.

**The other Ministry wizards were all staring at Mr. Crouch.**

"That would've been awkward," Lee said trying to lighten the mood but it didn't work.

**For a few seconds Crouch remained transfixed, his eyes blazing in his white face as he stared down at Winky. Then he appeared to come to life again.**

The trio exchanged looks; they could all guess what he was thinking.

" **This - cannot - be," he said jerkily. "No -"**

**He moved quickly around Mr. Diggory and strode off toward the place where he had found Winky.**

"Do you think he knew then?" Hermione whispered so only Harry and Ron could hear.

"Yeah," Ron said just as quietly.

"I do," Harry whispered.

Daphne didn't know what they were talking about; she thought about asking but stopped herself when she saw the look on Harry's face.

" **No point, Mr. Crouch," Mr. Diggory called after him. "There's no one else there."**

 _'Yes, there was.'_ Harry thought.

**But Mr. Crouch did not seem prepared to take his word for it. They could hear him moving around and the rustling of leaves as he pushed the bushes aside, searching.**

_'He was probably trying to cover up all the signs of someone being there.'_ Harry thought.

" **Bit embarrassing," Mr. Diggory said grimly, looking down at Winky's unconscious form. "Barty Crouch's house-elf… I mean to say…"**

"He can't honestly believe that if was the house elf?" Susan asked incredulously.

" **Come off it, Amos," said Mr. Weasley quietly, "you don't seriously think it was the elf? The Dark Mark's a wizard's sign. It requires a wand."**

"Can house elves use wands?" Justin asked.

"They aren't legally allowed to but it isn't impossible," Remus answered.

" **Yeah," said Mr. Diggory, "and she** _ **had**_ **a wand."**

"What?" A lot of people yelled.

Susan looked dumbstruck. "She had a wand?"

"How would a house elf acquire a wand?" Terry asked with furrowed brows.

" **What?" said Mr. Weasley.**

" **Here, look." Mr. Diggory held up a wand and showed it to Mr. Weasley. "Had it in her hand. So that's clause three of the Code of Wand Use broken, for a start.** _ **No non-human creature is permitted to carry or use a wand**_ **."**

Hermione glared even more fiercely at the book.

**Just then there was another pop, and Ludo Bagman Apparated right next to Mr. Weasley. Looking breathless and disorientated, he spun on the spot, goggling upward at the emerald-green skull.**

"He's really behind," Dean muttered.

" **The Dark Mark!" he panted, almost trampling Winky** **as he turned inquiringly to his colleagues. "Who did it? Did you get them? Barty! What's going on?"**

"Where has he been?" Leanne asked. "Wasn't he going to go help when Ron told him about the riot?"

A few people frowned; they thought he had gone to help.

**Mr. Crouch had returned empty-handed. His face was still ghostly white, and his hands and his toothbrush mustache were both twitching.**

"He definitely knew," Harry whispered to Ron and Hermione.

" **Where have you been, Barty?" said Bagman. "Why weren't you at the match?**

"Why wasn't he at the match?" Sally-Anne asked.

"He was probably busy," Megan guessed.

 _'Or he never planned on going.'_ Harry thought.

**Your elf was saving you a seat too - gulping gargoyles!" Bagman had just noticed Winky lying at his feet. "What happened to** _**her** _ **?"**

"Idiot," Kevin mumbled.

" **I have been busy, Ludo," said Mr. Crouch,**

Harry and Ron had to stop themselves from snorting at the lie.

**still talking in the same jerky fashion, barely moving his lips.**

Amelia frowned, that didn't sound like the Barty she had known at all.

Next to her Rufus was thinking the same thing.

**"And my elf has been stunned."**

" **Stunned? By you lot, you mean? But why -?"**

"Someone just explain it to him," a seventh year Ravenclaw said sounding annoyed.

**Comprehension dawned suddenly on Bagman's round, shiny face; he looked up at the skull, down at Winky, and then at Mr. Crouch.**

"Took him long enough," Harper mumbled.

" _ **No**_ **!" he said. "Winky? Conjure the Dark Mark? She wouldn't know how!**

"I'm surprised he didn't jump to some wild conclusion," Sirius said. He knew that Bagman had always had a flare for dramatics.

**She'd need a wand, for a start!"**

" **And she had one," said Mr. Diggory. "I found her holding one, Ludo.**

"She probably just found it," Rose pointed out.

Umbridge was going to comment but stayed silent at a look from Fudge.

**If it's all right with you, Mr. Crouch, I think we should hear what she's got to say for herself."**

**Crouch gave no sign that he had heard Mr. Diggory, but Mr. Diggory seemed to take his silence for assent. He raised his own wand, pointed it at Winky, and said, "** _**Enervate!** _ **"**

**Winky stirred feebly.**

"This isn't going to be good," Patricia sighed.

"They aren't going to listen to anything she has to say," Orla said sadly.

**Her great brown eyes opened and she blinked several times in a bemused sort of way. Watched by the silent wizards, she raised herself shakily into a sitting position.**

"She probably has no clue as to what's going on," Orla said dejectedly.

 **She caught sight of Mr. Diggory's feet,** **and slowly, tremulously, raised her eyes to stare up into his face; then, more slowly still, she looked up into the sky. Harry could see the floating skull reflected twice in her enormous, glassy eyes. She gave a gasp, looked wildly around the crowded clearing, and burst into terrified sobs.**

Many of the girls in the hall frowned.

"She was probably terrified," Luna said sadly.

" **Elf!" said Mr. Diggory sternly.**

"That isn't very nice," Luna said as her eyes fell on the book.

"Wizards have no respect for other living creatures," Hermione said angrily under her breath.

**"Do you know who I am? I'm a member of the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures!"**

**Winky began to rock backward and forward on the ground, her breath coming in sharp bursts.**

Several girls looked concerned for the elf.

**Harry was reminded forcibly of Dobby in his moments of terrified disobedience.**

" **As you see, elf, the Dark Mark was conjured here a short while ago," said Mr. Diggory. "And you were discovered moments later, right beneath it! An explanation, if you please!"**

"Yelling at her won't help," said a frowning Patricia.

" **I - I - I is not doing it, sir!" Winky gasped. "I is not knowing how, sir!"**

"I highly doubt a house elf knows the incantation," Tonks said dryly.

" **You were found with a wand in your hand!" barked Mr. Diggory, brandishing it in front of her. And as the wand caught the green light that was filling the clearing from the skull above, Harry recognized it.**

" **Hey - that's mine!" he said**

The hall groaned as one.

"You've got to be getting me," Sirius said throwing up his hands in exasperation.

"Someone used your wand to conjure the mark?" Dean asked.

Harry nodded tightly.

"You have the worst luck," Seamus said shaking his head.

"How did they get your wand?" Neville asked.

"I'm sure the book will explain," Harry said. He didn't feel like explaining it when he was sure the book would.

**Everyone in the clearing looked at him.**

"That was the wrong thing to say," Moody barked.

"I know that now," Harry said slightly annoyed.

" **Excuse me?" said Mr. Diggory, incredulously.**

"Now they're going to think you did it," Remus said as he put his head in his hands.

" **That's my wand!" said Harry. "I dropped it!"**

"And that was even worse to say," Tonks said. "Now they'll think you conjured the mark and the dropped it right after."

" **You dropped it?" repeated Mr. Diggory in disbelief. "Is this a confession?**

A few people rolled their eyes while others looked at the book in disbelief.

**You threw it aside after you conjured the Mark?"**

"If he did he wouldn't confess to it," Blaise said rolling his eyes.

"These people are daft," Theo muttered to himself.

" **Amos, think who you're talking to!" said Mr. Weasley, very angrily. "Is** _ **Harry Potter**_ **likely to conjure the Dark Mark?"**

"He's the last person who I'd picture would conjure it," Lisa said seriously.

" **Er - of course not," mumbled Mr. Diggory. "Sorry… carried away…"**

"Understatement." The twins said together.

" **I didn't drop it there, anyway," said Harry, jerking his thumb toward the trees beneath the skull. "I missed it right after we got into the wood."**

"You actually don't know where you lost it," Hermione told her best friend. "Or at least back then you didn't." They had learned later that Barty had taken it earlier.

" **So," said Mr. Diggory, his eyes hardening as he turned to look at Winky again, cowering at his feet. "You found this wand, eh, elf? And you picked it up and thought you'd have some fun with it, did you?"**

"Does he think before speaking?" Terry asked. "That doesn't even make sense."

"That's what happens when people panic," Arthur sighed. "They start to become irrational."

" **I is not doing magic with it, sir!" squealed Winky, tears streaming down the sides of her squashed and bulbous nose. "I is…I is…I is just picking it up, sir! I is not making the Dark Mark, sir, I is not knowing how!"**

Su Li narrowed her eyes. "He's just making it worse."

" **It wasn't her!" said Hermione. She looked very nervous, speaking up in front of all these Ministry wizards, yet determined all the same.**

"Gryffindor." Several people said under their breath.

" **Winky's got a squeaky little voice, and the voice we heard doing the incantation was much deeper!" She looked around at Harry and Ron, appealing for their support. "It didn't sound anything like Winky, did it?"**

"No." Harry and Ron said together.

" **No," said Harry, shaking his head. "It definitely didn't sound like an elf."**

" **Yeah, it was a human voice," said Ron.**

"It was way too deep to be any house elf," Harry said.

" **Well, we'll soon see," growled Mr. Diggory, looking unimpressed.**

"Unfortunately adults usually find it hard to believe children," Dumbledore said as he rested his chin on his steepled hands.

"Don't I know it," Harry muttered.

" **There's a simple way of discovering the last spell a wand performed, elf, did you know that?"**

"There is?" Colin asked.

Remus nodded his head. "Yes."

**Winky trembled and shook her head frantically, her ears flapping, as Mr. Diggory raised his own wand again and placed it tip to tip with Harry's.**

" _ **Prior Incantato!**_ **" roared Mr. Diggory.**

 _'It's basically what happened in the graveyard.'_ Harry thought.

**Harry heard Hermione gasp, horrified, as a gigantic serpent-tongued skull erupted from the point where the two wands met, but it was a mere shadow of the green skull high above them; it looked as though it were made of thick gray smoke: the ghost of a spell.**

Harry nodded, it sounded like what happened in the graveyard.

"That's just going to make them think they know for sure that it was Winky," Hannah said sadly.

" _ **Deletrius!**_ **" Mr. Diggory shouted, and the smoky skull vanished in a wisp of smoke.**

"This won't be good for her," Katie said knowingly.

" **So," said Mr. Diggory with a kind of savage triumph, looking down upon Winky, who was still shaking convulsively.**

Hermione glared at the book, she hated how most wizards treated house elves.

" **I is not doing it!" she squealed, her eyes rolling in terror. "I is not, I is not, I is not knowing how! I is a good elf, I isn't using wands, I isn't knowing how!"**

"Poor Winky," Lavender said quietly.

"I feel so bad for her," Parvati whispered to herself.

" _ **You've been caught red-handed, elf**_ **!" Mr. Diggory roared. "** _ **Caught with the guilty wand in your hand**_ **!"**

" **Amos," said Mr. Weasley loudly, "think about it… precious few wizards know how to do that spell… Where would she have learned it?"**

"Exactly." Several people said.

" **Perhaps Amos is suggesting," said Mr. Crouch, cold anger in every syllable, "that I routinely teach my servants to conjure the Dark Mark?"**

"Uh oh." Fred and George said.

"I don't think Mr. Crouch is going to like that very much," Lee said.

**There was a deeply unpleasant silence. Amos Diggory looked horrified. "Mr. Crouch… not… not at all."**

Sirius rolled his eyes. _'Merlin forbid anyone insult Crouch.'_

" **You have now come very close to accusing the two people in this clearing who are** _ **least**_ **likely to conjure that Mark!" barked Mr. Crouch.**

"Didn't he accuse Harry five minutes ago?" Alicia asked.

"Yes," Remus said as he ran a hand over his face.

"He's a hypocrite," Kenneth said.

" **Harry Potter – and myself. I suppose you are familiar with the boy's story, Amos?"**

"Of course he has," Harry muttered bitterly.

Daphne tightened her grip slightly around Harry.

" **Of course - everyone knows -" muttered Mr. Diggory, looking highly discomforted.**

" **And I trust you remember the many proofs I have given, over a long career, that I despise and detest the Dark Arts and those who practice them?" Mr. Crouch shouted, his eyes bulging again.**

 _'Like locking his son away in prison.'_ Harry thought. Ever since the night of the third task he wondered if things would've happened differently if he wouldn't have helped his son escape. Would Voldemort still have been resurrected? Would he have used a different death eater to impersonate Moody? He knew he shouldn't think about the what-ifs but it was hard not to sometimes.

" **Mr. Crouch, I - I never suggested you had anything to do with it!" Amos Diggory muttered again, now reddening behind his scrubby brown beard.**

"Kiss ass," Seamus whispered to Dean.

" **If you accuse my elf, you accuse me, Diggory!" shouted Mr. Crouch. "Where else would she have learned to conjure it?"**

"At least he's sticking up for her," Hannah said meekly.

Hermione had to stop herself from scoffing. She knew the only reason Crouch said that was to bring suspicion from his house elf. If there had been an inquiry it wouldn't have been good for him or his son.

" **She - she might've picked it up anywhere -"**

"Yeah, because when I go to people's houses I teach their house elves the dark mark," Tonks said rolling her now violet colored eyes.

" **Precisely, Amos," said Mr. Weasley. "** _ **She might have picked it up anywhere**_ **…**

"Nice double meaning" Sirius said.

**Winky?" he said kindly, turning to the elf, but she flinched as though he too was shouting at her. "Where exactly did you find Harry's wand?"**

"At least someone is being nice to her," Hermione said with a sniff.

**Winky was twisting the hem of her tea towel so violently that it was fraying beneath her fingers.**

Hermione pursed her lips.

" **I - I is finding it…finding it there, sir…" she whispered, "there…in the trees, sir."**

" **You see, Amos?" said Mr. Weasley. "Whoever conjured the Mark could have Disapparated right after they'd done it, leaving Harry's wand behind.**

"That would've actually been a smart thing to do," Kingsley said. "Using their own wand would've given them away if they had been caught."

**A clever thing to do, not using their own wand, which could have betrayed them.**

Kingsley nodded his head absentmindedly.

**And Winky here had the misfortune to come across the wand moments later and pick it up."**

" **But then, she'd have been only a few feet away from the real culprit!" said Mr. Diggory impatiently. "Elf? Did you see anyone?"**

"Stop calling her elf," Hermione hissed. "She had a name."

**Winky began to tremble worse than ever.**

**Her giant eyes flickered from Mr. Diggory, to Ludo Bagman, and onto Mr. Crouch. Then she gulped and said, "I is seeing no one, sir… no one…"**

"She could've been lying," Susan said. "House elves can't lie to their master but they can to anyone else."

" **Amos," said Mr. Crouch curtly, "I am fully aware that, in the ordinary course of events, you would want to take Winky into your department for questioning. I ask you, however, to allow me to deal with her."**

Amelia frowned, she hate when people abused their authority.

**Mr. Diggory looked as though he didn't think much of this suggestion at all, but it was clear to Harry that Mr. Crouch was such an important member of the Ministry that he did not dare refuse him.**

Sirius scowled.

"It shouldn't matter who you are," Hermione said. "No one should get special treatment."

" **You may rest assured that she will be punished," Mr. Crouch added coldly.**

"She shouldn't be punished because she didn't do anything," Parvati said giving the book a pitying look as though it was Winky.

" **M-m-master…" Winky stammered, looking up at Mr. Crouch, her eyes brimming with tears. "M-m-master, p-p-please…"**

"She looked so sad and pitiful," Hermione said quietly to herself.

**Mr. Crouch stared back, his face somehow sharpened, each line upon it more deeply etched. There was no pity in his gaze.**

"How could he not feel bad for her?" A first year asked quietly but no one answered.

" **Winky has behaved tonight in a manner I would not have believed possible," he said slowly. "I told her to remain in the tent. I told her to stay there while I went to sort out the trouble. And I find that she disobeyed me.**

"She was scared!" Hermione exclaimed. "Would he have rather had her trampled to death?"

"Hermione," Ron said as he glanced at those who were staring at Hermione. "This has already happened."

Hermione glared at him before looking back at the table.

_**This means clothes** _ **."**

Several purebloods grimaced; Winky wouldn't take that very well.

"This won't be pretty," Oliver Rivers said knowingly.

Daphne looked at Hermione. "That's how most house elves would act to receiving clothes."

Hermione frowned as many of the purebloods throughout the hall nodded.

" **No!" shrieked Winky, prostrating herself at Mr. Crouch's feet. "No, master! Not clothes, not clothes!"**

**Harry knew that the only way to turn a house-elf free was to present it with proper garments. It was pitiful to see the way Winky clutched at her tea towel as she sobbed over Mr. Crouch's feet.**

Dobby looked sad for his friend, he liked being free but he knew Winky didn't.

" **But she was frightened!" Hermione burst out angrily, glaring at Mr. Crouch. "Your elf's scared of heights, and those wizards in masks were levitating people! You can't blame her for wanting to get out of their way!"**

"Nothing you say will change his mind," Melinda said with a sigh.

**Mr. Crouch took a step backward, freeing himself from contact with the elf, whom he was surveying as though she were something filthy and rotten that was contaminating his over-shined shoes.**

Hermione continued to glare at the book.

" **I have no use for a house-elf who disobeys me," he said coldly, looking over at Hermione. "I have no use for a servant who forgets what is due to her master, and to her master's reputation."**

"Because that's all that matters," Hermione said furiously.

"To people like Crouch it is," Sirius said bitterly.

**Winky was crying so hard that her sobs echoed around the clearing.**

Sad looks were directed towards the book.

**There was a very nasty silence, which was ended by Mr. Weasley, who said quietly, "Well, I think I'll take my lot back to the tent, if nobody's got any objections.**

The tension began to leave the hall.

"Good," Molly said looking at her husband approvingly.

**Amos, that wand's told us all it can - if Harry could have it back, please -"**

Harry stuck his hand in his pocket and felt his wand.

**Mr. Diggory handed Harry his wand and Harry pocketed it.**

" **Come on, you three," Mr. Weasley said quietly. But Hermione didn't seem to want to move; her eyes were still upon the sobbing elf.**

"Hermione," Dean moaned. "That's not the time."

**"Hermione!" Mr. Weasley said, more urgently. She turned and followed Harry and Ron out of the clearing and off through the trees.**

" **What's going to happen to Winky?" said Hermione, the moment they had left the clearing.**

A few Slytherins rolled their eyes; it's just a house elf.

" **I don't know," said Mr. Weasley.**

" **The way they were treating her!" said Hermione furiously.** **"Mr. Diggory, calling her 'elf' all the time… and Mr. Crouch! He knows she didn't do it and he's still going to sack her!**

"She disobeyed her master," Pansy said. "She deserved to be given clothes."

Hermione turned her glare onto the Slytherin. "She was scared! What would you have done if you were told to stay behind during a riot? She could've been hurt."

Pansy returned Hermione's glare. "It doesn't matter; a house elf's job is to obey. You just don't understand because you're a-"

Daphne cut her off. "I'd watch what you're about to say Parkinson."

Pansy turned her glare to Daphne before turning away.

"Thanks Daphne," Harry said as he smiled at his girlfriend.

Daphne responded by giving him a small kiss.

Ginny felt annoyed but pushed it down; she had a boyfriend she shouldn't care who Harry kissed.

**He didn't care how frightened she'd been, or how upset she was - it was like she wasn't even human!"**

"She's not," Zacharias said as though talking to a five year old.

"That doesn't mean she doesn't have feelings!" Hermione snapped.

"Please continue Bill," Dumbledore said before the argument could escalate.

" **Well, she's not," said Ron.**

Hermione was too busy glaring at Zacharias to glare at Ron.

**Hermione rounded on him.**

"I can't believe you said that in front of Hermione," Fred said seriously.

"I didn't know she'd flip out," Ron told him.

This time Hermione did glare at Ron.

" **That doesn't mean she hasn't got feelings, Ron. It's disgusting the way -"**

" **Hermione, I agree with you," said Mr. Weasley quickly, beckoning her on, "but now is not the time to discuss elf rights.**

"He's right." Several people said.

"You all just need to worry about getting back to the tent and getting some sleep," Molly said.

**I want to get back to the tent as fast as we can. What happened to the others?"**

"We were fine," Fred assured his mother when she opened her mouth.

" **We lost them in the dark," said Ron. "Dad, why was everyone so uptight about that skull thing?"**

"You mean you didn't know?" Daphne asked surprised.

Ron shook his head.

Daphne frowned; his parents should've told him what it was.

" **I'll explain everything back at the tent," said Mr. Weasley tensely.**

**But when they reached the edge of the wood, their progress was impeded.**

"What now?" Sirius asked, he looked like he was dreading the answer.

**A large crowd of frightened-looking witches and wizards was congregated there, and when they saw Mr. Weasley coming toward them, many of them surged forward.**

" **What's going on in there?"**

"Why are they asking him?" Millicent asked.

"Well, he does work for the ministry," Tracey reminded her year mate.

"That doesn't mean he would know," Millicent said. "He doesn't work for the Magical Law Enforcement."

Tracey shrugged before looking back at the book.

" **Who conjured it?"**

" **Arthur - it's not -** _ **Him**_ **?"**

"That's what a lot of people thought," Arthur sighed.

" **Of course it's not Him," said Mr. Weasley impatiently.**

 _'Not yet anyways.'_ Harry thought.

**"We don't know who it was; it looks like they Disapparated. Now excuse me, please, I want to get to bed."**

**He led Harry, Ron, and Hermione through the crowd and back into the campsite.**

**All was quiet now; there was no sign of the masked wizards, though several ruined tents were still smoking.**

"A large majority of the campsite was ruined," Arthur sighed. "The ministry had to deal with a lot of insurance claims."

Percy scowled as he remembered some of the insurance claims; some of them were ridiculously far-fetched like Mundungus'.

**Charlie's head was poking out of the boys' tent.**

" **Dad, what's going on?" he called through the dark. "Fred, George, and Ginny got back okay, but the others -"**

"We had been worried," Charlie admitted. "Fred, George and Ginny said they had lost you three soon after leaving the tents." He had been worried sick about the three of them; he had been hoping that they just went further into the woods away from all of the noise.

Percy nodded his head; he had been worried about them. He thought they'd be safe in the woods but when he returned to the tent he saw only three of his siblings. There had been no Ron and no Harry or Hermione. When they saw the dark mark in the sky he felt like a failure. He put on a confident air but in that moment he had felt like he failed his youngest brother and Ron's two best friends.

" **I've got them here," said Mr. Weasley, bending down and entering the tent. Harry, Ron, and Hermione entered after him.**

Bill looked up from the book. "You don't know how relieved I was to hear that." His greatest fear had always been that he wouldn't be able to protect his siblings like an older brother was supposed to.

**Bill was sitting at the small kitchen table, holding a bed sheet to his arm, which was bleeding profusely.**

Molly looked at her oldest son.

"I was fine mum," Bill said quickly. "It didn't even leave a scar."

**Charlie had a large rip in his shirt, and Percy was sporting a bloody nose.**

"Perce and I were both okay mum," Charlie said.

**Fred, George, and Ginny looked unhurt, though shaken.**

" **Did you get them, Dad?" said Bill sharply. "The person who conjured the Mark?"**

" **No," said Mr. Weasley. "We found Barty Crouch's elf holding Harry's wand, but we're none the wiser about who actually conjured the Mark."**

"That will just confuse them," Tonks said.

"For a moment I thought I'd heard wrong," Charlie admitted.

" _ **What**_ **?" said Bill, Charlie, and Percy together.**

**"Harry's wand?" said Fred.**

"That was a shock," Fred said.

"It definitely wasn't what I was expecting," George added.

" _ **Mr. Crouch's elf?**_ **" said Percy, sounding thunderstruck.**

Sirius rolled his eyes; he didn't see how anyone could idolize Crouch.

**With some assistance from Harry, Ron, and Hermione, Mr. Weasley explained what had happened in the woods. When they had finished their story, Percy swelled indignantly.**

"Here we go," Zacharias said under his breath.

" **Well, Mr. Crouch is quite right to get rid of an elf like that!" he said.**

Hermione pursed her lips.

**"Running away when he'd expressly told her not to… embarrassing him in front of the whole Ministry…how would that have looked, if she'd been brought up in front of the Department for the Regulation and Control -"**

Several people rolled their eyes.

Percy turned red. Hearing about what actually happened made him feel sorry for the elf.

" **She didn't do anything - she was just in the wrong place at the wrong time!" Hermione snapped at Percy, who looked very taken aback.**

"I doubt Percy expected you to yell at him," Ron said to Hermione.

**Hermione had always got on fairly well with Percy - better, indeed, than any of the others.**

"That's because they're both book worms," Pansy said quietly to Draco.

" **Hermione, a wizard in Mr. Crouch's position can't afford a house-elf who's going to run amok with a wand!" said Percy pompously, recovering himself.**

"She didn't run amok," Hermione said through gritted teeth.

Ron opened his mouth but Harry shook his head and the red head closed it.

" **She didn't run amok!" shouted Hermione. "She just picked it up off the ground!"**

" **Look, can someone just explain what that skull thing was?" said Ron impatiently.**

Harry snorted as he imagined what Voldemort would say if he were to call the dark mark, skull thing.

**"It wasn't hurting anyone… Why's it such a big deal?"**

_'His parents really should've told him what that was.'_ Daphne thought.

" **I told you, it's You-Know-Who's symbol, Ron," said Hermione, before anyone else could answer. "I read about it in** _ **The Rise and Fall of the Dark Arts**_ **."**

"Isn't Harry in that book?" Dean asked.

Harry grimaced at the thought, he'd never read the book.

"Yeah," Hermione said.

" **And it hasn't been seen for thirteen years," said Mr. Weasley quietly. "Of course people panicked… it was almost like seeing You-Know-Who back again."**

 _'The real thing is much worse than a floating symbol.'_ Harry thought as a pale face with blood red eyes swam to the front of his mind.

" **I don't get it," said Ron, frowning. "I mean… it's still only a shape in the sky…"**

" **Ron, You-Know-Who and his followers sent the Dark Mark into the air whenever they killed," said Mr. Weasley.**

The adults nodded solemnly.

**"The terror it inspired… you have no idea, you're too young.**

_'I hate when people say that.'_ Harry thought. He knew Mr. Weasley didn't mean anything rude by it but it still annoyed him.

**Just picture coming home and finding the Dark Mark hovering over your house, and knowing what you're about to find inside…" Mr. Weasley winced.**

Several people in the hall winced while others shivered.

"I can't even imagine," Lavender said quietly.

**"Everyone's worst fear… the very worst."**

Amelia and Molly both nodded.

"No one wants to come home to that," Andromeda said softly.

**There was silence for a moment. Then Bill, removing the sheet from his arm to check on his cut, said, "Well, it didn't help us tonight, whoever conjured it. It scared the Death Eaters away the moment they saw it.**

_'That's because they knew Voldemort wouldn't be happy with them.'_ Harry thought as he remembered how angry Voldemort had been.

**They all Disapparated before we'd got near enough to unmask any of them.**

"Cowards," Moody said in disgust.

**We caught the Roberts' before they hit the ground, though.**

"Thank Merlin," Parvati sighed in relief.

"I hope someone modifies their memories," Lavender said quietly.

**They're having their memories modified right now."**

"Good," Andromeda said. "They don't deserve to remember that."

" **Death Eaters?" said Harry. "What are Death Eaters?"**

"Cowardly bastards," Sirius snarled.

Molly and Andromeda gave Sirius reprimanding looks for his language.

"Horrible human beings," Fred said.

"Pathetic followers," George added.

Lucius had his eyes narrowed at the three pranksters.

" **It's what You-Know-Who's supporters called themselves," said Bill.**

"It's a ridiculous name," Harry muttered.

**"I think we saw what's left of them tonight - the ones who managed to keep themselves out of Azkaban, anyway."**

"Quite a few seemed to have escaped," Summerby said with a grimace.

" **We can't prove it was them, Bill," said Mr. Weasley. "Though it probably was," he added hopelessly.**

"It was," Harry said dryly.

"You don't know that," Umbridge said in a stern voice.

"Voldemort himself said so," Harry said not even bothering to look at her.

"Lies," Umbridge said defiantly.

Harry finally looked at Umbridge with a stony face. "Believe me or not I really could care less. This book is about my fourth year, the truth will be revealed soon enough." He glanced at Lucius.

Lucius was outwardly sneering but inwardly he was beginning to worry.

Umbridge narrowed her eyes but didn't say anything.

" **Yeah, I bet it was!" said Ron suddenly. "Dad, we met Draco Malfoy in the woods, and he as good as told us his dad was one of those nutters in masks!**

Astoria shot Draco a disgusted look.

**And we all know the Malfoys were right in with You-Know-Who!"**

Fudge frowned, he really hoped not.

" **But what were Voldemort's supporters -" Harry began. Everybody flinched – like most of the wizarding world, the Weasleys always avoided saying Voldemort's name.**

"It's just a name," Harry said loudly. "He's not going to apparate in front of you if you say it."

**"Sorry," said Harry quickly. "What were You-Know-Who's supporters up to, levitating Muggles? I mean, what was the point?"**

"It's a sport for them," Sirius spat.

" **The point?" said Mr. Weasley with a hollow laugh. "Harry, that's their idea of fun. Half the Muggle killings back when You-Know-Who was in power were done for fun.**

Most of the occupants in the hall looked disgusted.

The muggleborns looked horrified.

**I suppose they had a few drinks tonight and couldn't resist reminding us all that lots of them are still at large. A nice little reunion for them," he finished disgustedly.**

_'I'm sick of being involved in reunions involving dark wizards.'_ Harry thought.

" **But if they were the Death Eaters, why did they Disapparate when they saw the Dark Mark?" said Ron. "They'd have been pleased to see it, wouldn't they?"**

"No," Susan said shaking her head.

" **Use your brains, Ron," said Bill.**

Ron glared at his oldest brother who didn't see it because he was reading.

**"If they really were Death Eaters, they worked very hard to keep out of Azkaban when You-Know-Who lost power, and told all sorts of lies about him forcing them to kill and torture people.**

"All of which were total bull shit," Ron said looking at Lucius.

"Language." Molly, McGonagall and Andromeda said.

Some people in the hall were beginning to feel awkward and tense with the accusations towards Lucius. Even though almost every person in the hall believed him to be a death eater they didn't want a fight to break out because he was being accused by a teenager.

Narcissa didn't react to Ron's words but Lucius narrowed his eyes slightly at the jab.

**I bet they'd be even more frightened than the rest of us to see him come back. They denied they'd ever been involved with him when he lost his powers, and went back to their daily lives… I don't reckon he'd be over-pleased with them, do you?"**

"He wasn't," Harry said dryly.

Hermione, Ron and Daphne shot Harry worried looks.

The twins exchanged frowns.

" **So…whoever conjured the Dark Mark…" said Hermione slowly, "were they doing it to show support for the Death Eaters, or to scare them away?"**

 _'Scare them away.'_ Harry thought.

" **Your guess is as good as ours, Hermione," said Mr. Weasley. "But I'll tell you this… it was only the Death Eaters who ever knew how to conjure it. I'd be very surprised if the person who did it hadn't been a Death Eater once, even if they're not now… Listen, it's very late, and if your mother hears what's happened she'll be worried sick.**

"She was," Charlie said as he remembered seeing his frantic mother the next morning.

"Of course I was," Molly said frowning.

**We'll get a few more hours sleep and then try and get an early Portkey out of here."**

"I doubt anyone will be able to sleep," Dean said. "I know I didn't sleep until I got home the next day."

"Neither did I," Daphne admitted.

Harry pulled Daphne closer to him.

**Harry got back into his bunk with his head buzzing. He knew he ought to feel exhausted: It was nearly three in the morning, but he felt wide awake – wide awake, and worried.**

"He's going to brood," Zacharias muttered. "Just great."

**Three days ago - it felt like much longer, but it had only been three days - he had awoken with his scar burning. And tonight, for the first time in thirteen years, Lord Voldemort's mark had appeared in the sky. What did these things mean?**

"They're most likely connected," Amelia said looking thoughtful.

**He thought of the letter he had written to Sirius before leaving Privet Drive. Would Sirius have gotten it yet? When would he reply? Harry lay looking up at the canvas, but no flying fantasies came to him now to ease him to sleep, and it was a long time after Charlie's snores filled the tent that Harry finally dozed off.**

"I'm surprised you fell asleep," Neville said. "I'd thought you'd be up all night."

"The adrenaline probably wore off," Tonks said.

"The chapter is finished," Bill said looking relieved to be finished.

"May I?" Percy asked gesturing to the book.

"Yeah," Bill said as he passed his brother the book.


	11. Mayhem at the Ministry

**"Mayhem at the Ministry,"** Percy read out.

The ministry workers exchanged looks; the days following the Quidditch World Cup had been incredibly stressful and hectic.

**Mr. Weasley woke them after only a few hours' sleep.**

"It was hell waking up the following morning," Ron complained.

"I was just glad to be leaving," Hermione admitted.

**He used magic to pack up the tents, and they left the campsite as quickly as possible,**

"I thought you didn't want to use magic?" Dean asked raising an eyebrow.

Arthur sighed. "I didn't want to be there any longer than we had too."

**passing Mr. Roberts at the door of his cottage. Mr. Roberts had a strange, dazed look about him, and he waved them off with a vague "Merry Christmas."**

"Will he be okay?" Hannah asked worriedly.

"He was fine," Amelia said. "The memory charm the obliviation squad had to use was extremely powerful; it took a while for his mind to go back to normal."

"At least he won't have to remember what happened," Susan told her best friend comfortingly.

" **He'll be all right," said Mr. Weasley quietly as they marched off onto the moor. "Sometimes, when a person's memory's modified, it makes him a bit disoriented for a while… and that was a big thing they had to make him forget."**

Those who worked at the ministry nodded.

"Also the more you obliviate the longer it takes for your mind to adjust," Rufus told the hall. "It was more than just a few minutes that had to be obliviated, it was several hours."

**They heard urgent voices as they approached the spot where the Portkeys lay, and when they reached it, they found a great number of witches and wizards gathered around Basil, the keeper of the Portkeys, all clamoring to get away from the campsite as quickly as possible.**

"That must've been a long day for that guy," Justin commented.

"I wouldn't have wanted to be him," Stewart said.

"Everyone looked eager to leave," Dean said in remembrance.

"I don't blame them," Alicia said seriously.

**Mr. Weasley had a hurried discussion with Basil; they joined the queue, and were able to take an old rubber tire back to Stoatshead Hill before the sun had really risen.**

"It wasn't soon enough," Ron muttered.

**They walked back through Ottery St. Catchpole and up the damp lane toward the Burrow in the dawn light, talking very little because they were so exhausted,**

"I just wanted to go to the Burrow and relax," Hermione admitted.

"I wanted to go home and sleep," Fred said.

"I just wanted breakfast," Ron said unsurprisingly.

**and thinking longingly of their breakfast.**

Ron nodded absentmindedly causing Hermione to roll her eyes.

**As they rounded the corner and the Burrow came into view, a cry echoed along the lane.**

"Mum." All of the Weasley children said at once.

"She must've been loud to hear her from far away," Angelina pointed out.

"Mum can be very loud," Fred said knowingly.

"I was worried," Molly said slightly red. "You don't know how good it was to see them all walking towards our home."

" **Oh thank goodness, thank goodness!"**

**Mrs. Weasley, who had evidently been waiting for them in the front yard,**

"How long had you been waiting?" Remus asked. He didn't even want to begin to think how she must've been feeling. He had been worried about Harry, but she had been worried about seven kids, her husband and two teenagers who she thought of as her kids.

"About an hour," Molly told him.

**came running toward them, still wearing her bedroom slippers, her face pale and strained, a rolled-up copy of the** _**Daily Prophet** _ **clutched in her hand.**

"You must've been worried sick," Andromeda said frowning. She knew that if she had been in Molly's position she would've been frantic.

"I was," Molly said. "As soon as I saw the front page of the paper my heart stopped." She couldn't even begin to describe how it felt, she had feared the worse. She had felt more relieved than she thought was possible when she saw her husband, her children, Harry and Hermione walking towards the Burrow tired but unhurt.

Sirius gave Molly a grateful look, thankful that she worried about Harry so much. He felt a pang of guilt for some of the things he had said to her over the summer. He knew she cared about Harry like he was her own and he couldn't help but feel jealous that she knew him better than he did. But he couldn't deny he was extremely grateful for the way she treated Harry.

" **Arthur - I've been so worried - so worried-"**

The adults in the room understood where Molly was coming from. They could all remember waking up every morning and hesitantly opening up the Daily Prophet. No one knew what they would see when they read the paper, someone they cared about could be dead.

**She flung her arms around Mr. Weasley's neck, and the** _**Daily Prophet** _ **fell out of her limp hand onto the ground. Looking down, Harry saw the headline: SCENES OF TERROR AT THE QUIDDITCH WORLD CUP,**

"That would make anyone panic," Andromeda said solemnly.

"That wouldn't be a good thing to wake up to," Angelina said with a grimace.

**complete with a twinkling black-and-white photograph of the Dark Mark over the treetops.**

"That probably terrified everyone who wasn't there," a seventh year Gryffindor said.

"My parents were worried when they read the paper," Euan said.

"So were mine," Jimmy told him.

" **You're all right," Mrs. Weasley muttered distractedly, releasing Mr. Weasley and staring around at them all with red eyes,**

"My mum was like that," Tracey said. "She had been worried sick, she didn't let go of me for ten minutes."

"My parents made me stay within their sight all day," a fourth year Hufflepuff who had gone with their friend to the World Cup said.

" **you're alive… Oh boys…" And to everybody's surprise, she seized Fred and George and pulled them both into such a tight hug that their heads banged together.**

"I had been so worried," Molly said looking teary eyed at the twins. "I would never have forgiven myself if something had happened to you two after everything I'd said."

A few people grimaced thinking about how they would feel if they got into a fight with someone and they died before they could apologize.

" **Ouch! Mum - you're strangling us -"**

"Were you surprised?" Lee asked seriously.

"Yeah." The twins said in unison.

"I wasn't expecting her to smother us," Fred said.

 _'At least you have a parent to smother you.'_ Harry thought. He would give all his gold in Gringotts for one day of his mother smothering him.

" **I shouted at you before you left!" Mrs. Weasley said, starting to sob.**

Lucius sneered; he didn't want to hear about blood traitors crying.

**"It's all I've been thinking about! What if You-Know-Who had got you, and the last thing I ever said to you was that you didn't get enough OW.L.s? Oh Fred… George…"**

A few people sent Molly pitying looks.

" **Come on, now, Molly, we're all perfectly okay," said Mr. Weasley soothingly,**

Arthur squeezed his wife's hand in comfort.

**prising her off the twins and leading her back toward the house.**

The twins were about to say something but at a look from their dad stayed silent.

" **Bill," he added in an undertone, "pick up that paper, I want to see what it says…"**

"No you don't," Remus said seriously.

Arthur sighed; he never should've said anything to anyone the night of the riot.

**When they were all crammed into the tiny kitchen, and Hermione had made Mrs. Weasley a cup of very strong tea,**

Molly gave Hermione a kind smile. "You're always so sweet dear."

Hermione blushed.

**into which Mr. Weasley insisted on pouring a shot of Ogdens Old Firewhiskey,**

A few people sniggered.

 _'Drinking in the morning.'_ Umbridge thought disgustedly.

**Bill handed his father the newspaper. Mr. Weasley scanned the front page while Percy looked over his shoulder.**

" **I knew it," said Mr. Weasley heavily. "Ministry blunders… culprits not apprehended…**

"Ah, dear old Rita," Harry said rolling his eyes.

"You don't like Rita Skeeter?" Daphne asked.

"Merlin no," Harry said making a face.

"After everything she's said about you I'm not surprised," Daphne said frowning. "I've never been fond of her either."

**lax security… Dark wizards running unchecked…**

"I never thought I'd agree with Rita," Harry said under his breath.

**national disgrace… Who wrote this? Ah… of course… Rita Skeeter."**

"She was a pain in school as well," Sirius said rolling his eyes.

"You went to school with her?" Harry asked surprised.

"She was a few years older than me," Sirius told him.

" **That woman's got it in for the Ministry of Magic!" said Percy furiously.**

"She just likes to cause problems," Remus said. "She's always been that way."

"She'll write whatever will sell the most papers," Tonks said bitterly.

**"Last week she was saying we're wasting our time quibbling about cauldron thickness, when we should be stamping out vampires!**

"I never thought I'd say this," Fred began.

"But Rita has a point about cauldron bottoms," George finished.

Percy tinged pink and scowled while the twins snickered.

**As if it wasn't specifically stated in paragraph twelve of the Guidelines for the Treatment of Non-Wizard Part-Humans —"**

"Someone shut him up," Zacharias muttered.

"Does he ever stop talking?" Montague asked his friend.

"Doubtful," Vaisey drawled.

" **Do us a favor, Perce," said Bill, yawning, "and shut up."**

Several students snickered.

"I never thought you'd be the one to tell him to shut up," Tonks said seriously.

"Usually I wouldn't but no one was in the mood to listen," Bill said before adding to his brother. "No offense Perce."

Percy was still pink but he nodded, he could see now that his rambling wasn't the best thing to do that day.

" **I'm mentioned," said Mr. Weasley, his eyes widening behind his glasses as he reached the bottom of the** _ **Daily Prophet**_ **article.**

 _'I hadn't been expecting that.'_ Arthur thought inwardly sighing.

" **Where?" spluttered Mrs. Weasley, choking on her tea and whiskey. "If I'd seen that, I'd have known you were alive!"**

"I don't remember reading about you in that article," Remus said looking thoughtful.

"I wasn't mentioned by name," Arthur told him.

" **Not by name," said Mr. Weasley.**

A cruel smile formed on Lucius' lips, he remembered that article hadn't done any favors for Arthur.

" **Listen to this: 'If the terrified wizards and witches who waited breathlessly for news at the edge of the wood expected reassurance from the Ministry of Magic, they were sadly disappointed. A Ministry official emerged some time after the appearance of the Dark Mark alleging that nobody had been hurt, but refusing to give any more information. Whether this statement will be enough to quash the rumors that several bodies were removed from the woods an hour later, remains to be seen.'**

"There were no rumors about dead bodies until this article," Tonks said rolling her eyes.

"How she ever got a job at the Daily Prophet I'll never know," Ted said quietly to his wife.

**Oh really," said Mr. Weasley in exasperation, handing the paper to Percy. "Nobody was hurt. What was I supposed to say?**

"You shouldn't have spoken at all," Umbridge simpered. "You didn't have approval from the ministry to say anything."

"He was only trying to calm people down," Charlie said indignantly in his father's defense.

"It's not his job to calm people down," Umbridge said in a sickly sweet tone.

"This was over a year ago Dolores," Rufus said sharply. "What's done is done."

Fudge sent Umbridge a look that told her to keep her mouth shut, grudgingly she closed her mouth.

**'Rumors that several bodies were removed from the woods…' well, there certainly will be rumors now she's printed that."**

Hermione smirked, she was glad she stopped Rita from printing more ridiculous lies.

Harry and Ron noticed Hermione's look and they both guessed correctly what she was thinking, they exchanged amused looks.

**He heaved a deep sigh. "Molly, I'm going to have to go into the office; this is going to take some smoothing over."**

All of the ministry workers nodded, Rita's article hadn't done any of them any favors.

" **I'll come with you, Father," said Percy importantly.**

A few people rolled their eyes.

"Oh yes," Montague muttered. "Because you're so important."

The twins wanted to make a joke but decided that for once they wouldn't when they say the look their father was giving them.

" **Mr. Crouch will need all hands on deck.**

"Who cares what that man wants," Sirius grumbled.

"Knowing Barty he probably wanted to do everything himself," Ted said knowingly.

**And I can give him my cauldron report in person."**

"I'm sure he'll be thrilled to receive that," Zacharias drawled.

Surprisingly a lot of people, the twins and Ron glared at the Hufflepuff.

"Shut up Smith," Ron snapped causing Zacharias to sneer at him.

Percy couldn't help the small smiled that appeared on his lips at his siblings defense of him.

**He bustled out of the kitchen. Mrs. Weasley looked most upset. "Arthur, you're supposed to be on holiday! This hasn't got anything to do with your office; surely they can handle this without you?"**

The ministry workers absentmindedly shook their heads.

"There was a ridiculous amount of paper work for everyone," Kingsley said.

" **I've got to go, Molly," said Mr. Weasley. "I've made things worse. I'll just change into my robes and I'll be off …"**

"How did you make things worse?" Dean asked bewildered. "All you said was that no one was dead."

Arthur sighed and ran a hand over his face. "I really shouldn't have said anything."

"It wouldn't have mattered if you would've said nothing or not," Harry told him. "Rita would've just made something up."

"Harry's right Arthur," Molly told her husband.

Arthur gave Molly and Harry appreciative smiles.

" **Mrs. Weasley," said Harry suddenly, unable to contain himself, "Hedwig hasn't arrived with a letter for me, has she?"**

"That was random," Seamus said with a snort.

"I wanted to know if Sirius had written back," Harry told him.

Sirius smiled, glad that Harry looked forward to hearing from him.

" **Hedwig, dear?" said Mrs. Weasley distractedly. "No…no, there hasn't been any post at all."**

"What's taking you so long?" Andromeda asked her cousin.

"I was far away at the time," Sirius told her. "It took me a few days to even receive the letter he wrote."

**Ron and Hermione looked curiously at Harry. With a meaningful look at both of them he said, "All right if I go and dump my stuff in your room, Ron?"**

Ginny frowned; they never said anything in front of her.

Hermione noticed her look and internally sighed, she really needed to talk to Ginny.

" **Yeah… think I will too," said Ron at once. "Hermione?"**

"You actually caught on," Fred said teasingly.

"I'm so proud," George said wiping away an imaginary tear.

Ron rolled his eyes as his ears turned red. "Prats," he muttered.

" **Yes," she said quickly, and the three of them marched out of the kitchen and up the stairs.**

" **What's up, Harry?" said Ron, the moment they had closed the door of the attic room behind them.**

" **There's something I haven't told you," Harry said.**

"Actually there are many things you hadn't told us," Hermione corrected with a small glare.

"Hermione," Harry said slightly exasperated. "You know why I hadn't told you and Ron."

Hermione's glare faded as she sighed. "I know, but it doesn't have to mean I need to be happy about it."

" **On Saturday morning, I woke up with my scar hurting again."**

 _'Unbalanced boy.'_ Umbridge thought as she eyed him suspiciously.

**Ron's and Hermione's reactions were almost exactly as Harry had imagined them back in his bedroom on Privet Drive.**

"Are we that predictable?" Hermione asked.

"I think it's just because I know you two so well," Harry told her.

**Hermione gasped and started making suggestions at once, mentioning a number of reference books, and everybody from Albus Dumbledore to Madam Pomfrey, the Hogwarts nurse.**

The students chuckled, it was just like Harry imagined.

"He got your reaction spot on," Dean pointed out amusedly.

"He really had," Hermione admitted.

**Ron simply looked dumbstruck.**

" **But - he wasn't there, was he? You-Know-Who? I mean - last time your scar kept hurting, he was at Hogwarts, wasn't he?"**

"And that's exactly how you pictured Ron would react," Charlie said in amusement.

"You three know each other extremely well," Daphne said to her boyfriend.

"Yeah," Harry said with a smile.

A few people felt jealous that they weren't that close with their friends.

" **I'm sure he wasn't on Privet Drive," said Harry.**

"Merlin I hope not," a second year Hufflepuff said worriedly.

**"But I was dreaming about him… him and Peter - you know, Wormtail. I can't remember all of it now, but they were plotting to kill… someone."**

"You didn't tell them that it was your murder they were plotting," Cormac pointed out causing a few people to glare at him.

"I didn't want to worry them any more than they already were," Harry explained.

"You still should've told us," Ron said seriously.

"You shouldn't have had to worry about that all by yourself," Hermione said gently.

"It was fine," Harry told them.

Hermione and Ron exchanged looks of disbelief but didn't say anything.

**He had teetered for a moment on the verge of saying "me," but couldn't bring himself to make Hermione look any more horrified than she already did.**

"I really did have your best interests in mind," Harry told Hermione.

Hermione gave him a look that said 'you're an idiot'. "You're our best friend; it's in our best interest to know if someone is trying to kill you."

"Well then, I guess you should know that someone is trying to kill me," Harry deadpanned.

"Harry!" Hermione, Daphne, Alicia, Angelina, Katie, Ginny and Molly yelled.

"Don't say that," Alicia said looking horrified.

Harry sighed. "It's the truth; Voldemort is trying to kill me."

Hermione glared at Harry fiercely. "That's true but it doesn't mean you have to be so blasé about it."

"Yeah mate," Ron said inclining his head towards a pale Molly who obviously didn't like the reminder.

Harry sighed once more. "I'm sorry Mrs. Weasley."

Several of the students exchanged looks. How could he be so nonchalant about the darkest wizard in centuries trying to kill him?

Umbridge had to stop herself from smiling. _'That shows just how unbalanced the boy truly is.'_

The adults were frowning; a boy his age shouldn't be worrying about being murdered.

" **It was only a dream," said Ron bracingly. "Just a nightmare."**

 _'If only.'_ Harry thought.

" **Yeah, but was it, though?" said Harry, turning to look out of the window at the brightening sky.**

"You're such a pessimist mate," Dean said bluntly.

"I have a pretty good reason to be," Harry said dryly.

" **It's weird, isn't it…? My scar hurts, and three days later the Death Eaters are on the march, and Voldemort's sign's up in the sky again."**

"That is weird," Hannah said.

"It definitely isn't a coincidence," Susan said glancing at Harry.

" **Don't - say - his - name!" Ron hissed through gritted teeth.**

Harry rolled his eyes; he wished Ron would just say the name. Hermione was finally saying it; he hoped it wasn't long before Ron was too.

" **And remember what Professor Trelawney said?" Harry went on, ignoring Ron. "At the end of last year?"**

A shiver went throughout the hall.

"Don't remind me," Alicia grimaced.

**Professor Trelawney was their Divination teacher at Hogwarts. Hermione's terrified look vanished as she let out a derisive snort.**

Lavender and Parvati glared at Hermione, she just ignored them.

" **Oh Harry, you aren't going to pay attention to anything that old fraud says?"**

"It did come true," Harry said quietly to Hermione.

Hermione sighed. "I know, but I didn't know back then that it would."

Daphne was so close to Harry that she heard what they said. "It came true?" She whispered to her boyfriend.

Harry looked slightly surprised at the question, he hadn't been aware that Daphne had been listening. "Yeah," he whispered back.

" **You weren't there," said Harry. "You didn't hear her. This time was different. I told you, she went into a trance - a real one. And she said the Dark Lord would rise again…**

 _'Which is a lie.'_ Umbridge thought bitterly.

 _'Which is looking like it's the truth.'_ Fudge thought miserably.

Amelia was frowning, she really should've been told about that prophecy.

**greater and more terrible than ever before…**

The adults felt a sense of dread, if he was indeed worse than he was in the first war than a lot of people would die.

**and he'd manage it because his servant was going to go back to him… and that night Wormtail escaped."**

"It's too much to just be a coincidence," Remus said, even though he wished it had been.

Ron was glaring at the book; he hated Wormtail almost as much as he hated Voldemort.

**There was a silence in which Ron fidgeted absentmindedly with a hole in his Chudley Cannons bedspread.**

Ron flushed; he hated how almost everything he owned was rubbish.

A few Slytherins shot the Weasley's superior looks. You'd never find a hole in anything at their homes.

" **Why were you asking if Hedwig had come, Harry?" Hermione asked. "Are you expecting a letter?"**

" **I told Sirius about my scar," said Harry, shrugging. "I'm waiting for his answer."**

" **Good thinking!" said Ron, his expression clearing. "I bet Sirius'll know what to do!"**

"I don't think so," Remus said with a sideways glance at his best friend.

"Thanks Moony," Sirius said, his voice laced with sarcasm.

"You know what I mean Padfoot," Remus said slightly exasperated. "No one knows exactly how Harry's scar works since no one has seen one like it before."

" **I hoped he'd get back to me quickly," said Harry.**

" **But we don't know where Sirius is… he could be in Africa or somewhere, couldn't he?" said Hermione reasonably. "Hedwig's not going to manage that journey in a few days."**

"Where were you?" Dean asked curiously.

"Spain," Sirius said with a wistful look on his face.

"That must've been a nice change from Azkaban," Seamus said.

Sirius snorted. "A cave in the middle of nowhere would've been a nice change from Azkaban."

" **Yeah, I know," said Harry, but there was a leaden feeling in his stomach as he looked out of the window at the Hedwig-free sky.**

"Sorry Harry," Sirius said. He felt guilty that he made Harry feel bad.

"Don't apologize," Harry told him. "You wrote back as quickly as you could."

Umbridge was wearing a sour look on her face. _'I can't believe that boy is getting away with being in contact with an escaped felon. I don't care that he's been proved innocent, at the time he had still been considered guilty by the ministry.'_

" **Come and have a game of Quidditch in the orchard, Harry" said Ron. "Come on - three on three, Bill and Charlie and Fred and George will play… You can try out the Wronski Feint…"**

Molly and Pomfrey both looked disapproving.

" **Ron," said Hermione, in an I-don't-think-you're-being-very-sensitive sort of voice,**

"She uses that voice a lot," Fred said.

"Especially when talking to Ronnikins," George smirked.

"Oh, shut up," Ron muttered as he tinged pink.

**"Harry doesn't want to play Quidditch right now… He's worried, and he's tired… We all need to go to bed…"**

A few people snorted at Hermione's words.

"Harry is always up for a game of quidditch," Dean said.

"I just thought he might like to rest," Hermione said. "We all should've gone to bed."

"Quidditch is much better than sleep," Oliver said seriously.

Several girls rolled their eyes.

" **Yeah, I want to play Quidditch," said Harry suddenly. "Hang on, I'll get my Firebolt."**

"Boys," Hermione said shaking her head.

"Hey," Cho said indignantly. "I like quidditch."

Hermione didn't say anything to the Ravenclaw.

**Hermione left the room, muttering something that sounded very much like "Boys."**

Fred, George and Lee snorted.

"You haven't changed much I see?" Fred asked amused.

**Neither Mr. Weasley nor Percy was at home much over the following week.**

"Somehow I don't think any of them minded Percy being away," a sixth year Slytherin said under his breath to his neighbor.

His neighbor snorted. "I know I wouldn't."

**Both left the house each morning before the rest of the family got up, and returned well after dinner every night.**

"That's how my mum was," Marietta said. She had barely seen her mother for almost two weeks after the World Cup.

"Almost everyone at the ministry was working over time," Rufus told the hall.

"It was a stressful few weeks," Tonks admitted, even she had worked overtime.

" **It's been an absolute uproar," Percy told them importantly the Sunday evening before they were due to return to Hogwarts. "I've been putting out fires all week. People keep sending Howlers, and of course, if you don't open a Howler straight away, it explodes.**

A few people winced.

"I hate howlers," Ron said under his breath.

"People really shouldn't be allowed to send those," Hannah said frowning. "Someone could get hurt."

**Scorch marks all over my desk and my best quill reduced to cinders."**

Eyes were rolled at Percy's words.

"His favorite quill?" Montague snorted before muttering. "What a prat."

"Seriously Perce?" Charlie asked amusedly.

Percy tinged pink.

" **Why are they all sending Howlers?" asked Ginny, who was mending her copy of** _ **One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi**_ **with Spellotape on the rug in front of the living room fire.**

Ginny internally sighed; she hated not being able to afford new school books.

" **Complaining about security at the World Cup," said Percy.**

"I don't blame people for complaining about the security," Justin said.

"There was security at the World Cup," Fudge said, speaking for the first time in a while. "But no security is perfect."

"Obviously," Justin said under his breath.

**"They want compensation for their ruined property. Mundungus Fletcher's put in a claim for a twelve-bedroomed tent with en-suite Jacuzzi,**

Those who knew or knew of Mundungus Fletcher snorted or rolled their eyes.

Umbridge sneered, she hated Mundungus Fletcher. If she had it her way the man would be sentenced to life in Azkaban.

Amelia and Rufus didn't look happy at the mention of Mundungus.

"I'm sure," Fred snickered.

"Good ol' Dung," George said amusedly.

Molly didn't look the least bit amused.

"Uh, who's Mundungus Fletcher?" Dean asked confused.

"He's an uh, purveyor of goods," Sirius answered.

Ron snorted. "That's the nice way to put it. He's a thief; he steals stuff and then sells it for three times what it actually costs."

Harry glanced at the twins; he knew that Mundungus tried to rip them off quite a bit.

**but I've got his number. I know for a fact he was sleeping under a cloak propped on sticks."**

The students laughed.

"That sounds like something Dung would do," Fred chuckled.

Percy appeared to not find it funny and neither did the adults with the exception of Sirius and Tonks.

**Mrs. Weasley glanced at the grandfather clock in the corner. Harry liked this clock. It was completely useless if you wanted to know the time,**

"Then what's the point?" A muggleborn second year asked.

"The book will explain," Harry said quickly.

**but otherwise very informative. It had nine golden hands, and each of them was engraved with one of the Weasley family's names. There were no numerals around the face, but descriptions of where each family member might be. "Home," "school," and "work" were there, but there was also "traveling," "lost," "hospital," "prison," and, in the position where the number twelve would be on a normal clock, "mortal peril."**

Almost everyone in the hall looked interested and impressed.

"That's a very interesting clock," Amelia said interestedly. "That would be very useful."

"It is," Molly said smiling. "It helps me to relax slightly."

"That would explain how she knew Fred, George and Ron snuck out back before Harry's second year," Alicia said quietly to her best friends.

**Eight of the hands were currently pointing to the "home" position, but Mr. Weasley's, which was the longest, was still pointing to "work." Mrs. Weasley sighed.**

" **Your father hasn't had to go into the office on weekends since the days of You- Know-Who," she said.**

"Everyone worked constantly during the first war," Arthur said.

**"They're working him far too hard. His dinner's going to be ruined if he doesn't come home soon."**

" **Well, Father feels he's got to make up for his mistake at the match, doesn't he?" said Percy.**

"You aren't blaming him are you?" Tonks asked frowning.

Percy shifted uncomfortably in his seat.

" **If truth be told, he was a tad unwise to make a public statement without clearing it with his Head of Department first -"**

A few people were glaring at Percy.

"I thought Mr. Weasley was the head of his department?" Dean asked bewildered.

"I am," Arthur told him. "However my department is a division of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement."

"So you answer to the head of that department?" Dean asked for clarification.

"Yes," Arthur said.

" **Don't you dare blame your father for what that wretched Skeeter woman wrote!" said Mrs. Weasley, flaring up at once.**

"If dad refused to comment Rita would've just wrote that the entire ministry was incompetent," Charlie said annoyed.

"So really it wouldn't have made any difference," Tonks added.

" **If Dad hadn't said anything, old Rita would just have said it was disgraceful that nobody from the Ministry had commented," said Bill,**

"Exactly," Tonks said.

**who was playing chess with Ron.**

"And losing," Ron said smugly.

"Are you forgetting who taught you how to play chess?" Bill asked his youngest brother.

"That doesn't mean you can beat me," Ron said laughing.

Fleur gave her boyfriend an amused look as he mock glared at his brother before it turned into a smile.

" **Rita Skeeter never makes anyone look good. Remember, she interviewed all the Gringotts' Charm Breakers once, and called me 'a long-haired pillock'?"**

The twins snickered.

Molly and Fleur both glared at the book as though it was Rita.

" **Well, it is a bit long, dear," said Mrs. Weasley gently. "If you'd just let me -"**

" **No, Mum."**

The Weasley children minus Bill laughed.

"If you would-" Molly began.

"No, mum," Bill said slightly exasperated.

**Rain lashed against the living room window. Hermione was immersed in** _**The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 4** _ **,**

"I'm not surprised." The twins said in unison.

**copies of which Mrs. Weasley had bought for her, Harry, and Ron in Diagon Alley.**

"Hermione looked happier than she had in days," Harry teased.

Ron laughed while Hermione rolled her eyes.

"Be nice," Daphne said to Harry.

**Charlie was darning a fireproof balaclava.**

"I work with dragons," Charlie said with a shrug to the looks he was receiving.

"Yes," Tonks said giving her friend an odd look. "But a balaclava?"

"I was cold," Charlie elaborated.

**Harry was polishing his Firebolt, the broomstick servicing kit Hermione had given him for his thirteenth birthday open at his feet.**

"It didn't even need polishing," Ron said shaking his head.

"There wasn't anything else to do," Harry shrugged.

**Fred and George were sitting in a far corner, quills out, talking in whispers, their heads bent over a piece of parchment.**

The twins were on the receiving end of suspicious looks.

"What were you two up to?" Angelina asked eying the twins.

"Nothing." The twins said in unison.

Angelina, Alicia and Katie exchanged doubtful looks.

" **What are you two up to?" said Mrs. Weasley sharply, her eyes on the twins.**

"Even your mum thinks you're up to something," Katie said to the twins.

"She always thinks we're up to something," Fred pointed out.

"Because you are," Alicia said seriously.

" **Homework," said Fred vaguely.**

A lot of the students snorted.

"Now I know you're up to something," Angelina said.

"And you said we need lying lessons," Ron told his brothers.

 _'They're liars as well.'_ Umbridge thought disdainfully.

Filch glared at the twins, he knew they were always up to something.

" **Don't be ridiculous, you're still on holiday," said Mrs. Weasley.**

"The students do get homework over the holidays," Remus reminded Molly.

" **Yeah, we've left it a bit late," said George.**

"Everyone leaves it until the end," Seamus said with a shrug.

A lot of the Gryffindors nodded while the adults looked at them with disapproval.

"Not everyone does," Hermione said, several Ravenclaws nodding their heads in agreement.

"Not everyone is a know-it-all bookworm," Pansy muttered.

" **You're not by any chance writing out a new order form, are you?" said Mrs. Weasley shrewdly. "You wouldn't be thinking of restarting Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes, by any chance?"**

"Not that year," Fred said honestly.

Lucky for the twins Molly hadn't heard him.

" **Now, Mum," said Fred, looking up at her, a pained look on his face. "If the Hogwarts Express crashed tomorrow,**

"Such a lovely thought," Terry said dryly.

**and George and I died, how would you feel to know that the last thing we ever heard from you was an unfounded accusation?"**

Most of the students broke into laughter.

"Nice one Fred!" Lee said giving his friend a high five.

"Don't joke about dying," Alicia said frowning.

"Don't worry Alicia," Fred said with a teasing grin. "If I die it'll be with a joke and a smile."

"Hilarious," Alicia said rolling her eyes.

**Everyone laughed, even Mrs. Weasley.**

Molly was sent many surprised looks.

" **Oh your father's coming!" she said suddenly, looking up at the clock again.**

**Mr. Weasley's hand had suddenly spun from "work" to "traveling"; a second later it had shuddered to a halt on "home" with the others, and they heard him calling from the kitchen.**

"That is so cool," Colin said zealously.

"That would be extremely handy," Andromeda said.

" **Coming, Arthur!" called Mrs. Weasley, hurrying out of the room. A few moments later, Mr. Weasley came into the warm living room carrying his dinner on a tray. He looked completely exhausted.**

Pomfrey tutted. "The ministry worked you much too hard."

Arthur smiled at the healer. "I was fine Poppy."

" **Well, the fat's really in the fire now," he told Mrs. Weasley as he sat down in an armchair near the hearth and toyed unenthusiastically with his somewhat shriveled cauliflower. "Rita Skeeter's been ferreting**

A few people snorted at his choice of words.

Ron smirked at Draco who glared at him.

**around all week, looking for more Ministry mess-ups to report.**

"Does she have nothing better to do?" A third year Hufflepuff asked.

"No." Several people answered.

"She lives for the next story," Tonks said. "And she doesn't care who she hurts when she writes it."

"Awful woman," Padma murmured.

**And now she's found out about poor old Bertha going missing, so that'll be the headline in the** _**Prophet** _ **tomorrow.**

"Did someone find her body?" Lavender asked. She didn't like the idea of the woman's body rotting away somewhere, she shivered at the image.

"No," Amelia said solemnly.

"No one ever will," Harry said with a grimace, he elaborated at the curious looks. "Nagini."

The hall paled at the thought of Bertha being eaten by a giant snake.

"I think I'm going to be sick," Parvati said putting a hand over her mouth.

"I shouldn't have asked," said a green Lavender.

**I told Bagman he should have sent someone to look for her ages ago."**

" **Mr. Crouch has been saying it for weeks and weeks," said Percy swiftly.**

"Does he say anything that doesn't start with Mr. Crouch?" Montague muttered.

"Probably not," Terence Higgs muttered back.

" **Crouch is very lucky Rita hasn't found out about Winky," said Mr. Weasley irritably. "There'd be a week's worth of headlines in his house-elf being caught holding the wand that conjured the Dark Mark."**

"I don't even want to imagine what she would've written," Remus said. "Especially if she had found out that the wand used had belonged to Harry Potter."

Harry grimaced at the thought, dozens of headlines flooded into his mind.

"That wouldn't have been good," Neville said. "She would've made you out to be in league with You-Know-Who."

"They would've thought I was evil a year earlier," Harry said dryly.

Those who had believed the lies about Harry once more shifted guiltily.

" **I thought we were all agreed that that elf, while irresponsible, did not conjure the Mark?" said Percy hotly.**

"Please tell me we aren't about to listen to an argument on house elf's," Theo said agitated.

"Salazar I hope not," a fourth year Slytherin said.

" **If you ask me, Mr. Crouch is very lucky no one at the** _ **Daily Prophet**_ **knows how mean he is to elves!" said Hermione angrily.**

"No one would care," Daphne said gently.

Hermione pursed her lips but nodded.

" **Now look here, Hermione!" said Percy. "A high-ranking Ministry official like Mr. Crouch deserves unswerving obedience from his servants -"**

Percy was on the receiving end of many looks of disbelief.

"Unswerving obedience from his servants?" Tonks said looking disgusted. "That sounds like something V-V-Voldemort would say."

Percy flinched at being compared to the dark lord and turned red. "That isn't what I meant."

"Then what did you mean?" Tonks asked.

"I just meant that his house elf should've obeyed him, it was her job after all," Percy said. He then began to read before Tonks could say anything else.

" **His slave, you mean!" said Hermione, her voice rising passionately, "because he didn't pay Winky, did he?"**

"Is this how you started SPEW?" Dean asked.

"It isn't SPEW," Hermione said hotly. "It's S-P-E-W."

Dean threw his hands up. "Sorry!"

" **I think you'd all better go upstairs and check that you've packed properly!" said Mrs. Weasley, breaking up the argument. "Come on now, all of you…"**

**Harry repacked his broomstick servicing kit, put his Firebolt over his shoulder, and went back upstairs with Ron. The rain sounded even louder at the top of the house, accompanied by loud whistlings and moans from the wind, not to mention sporadic howls from the ghoul who lived in the attic. Pigwidgeon began twittering and zooming around his cage when they entered. The sight of the half-packed trunks seemed to have sent him into a frenzy of excitement.**

"I still can't believe you gave Ron a crazy owl," Remus said shaking his head.

"I didn't know the owl was like that when I sent him," Sirius said slightly sheepish.

"It's fine," Ron said quickly.

Harry smiled; he knew that no matter how much Ron complained he really did like his owl.

" **Bung him some Owl Treats," said Ron, throwing a packet across to Harry. "It might shut him up."**

"It's loud, annoying and quiets down when fed," Fred said as a smirk formed on his lips.

"Sounds like a certain brother of ours," George said joining his brother in smirking.

Ron turned red as the students laughed.

**Harry poked a few Owl Treats through the bars of Pigwidgeon's cage, then turned to his trunk. Hedwig's cage stood next to it, still empty.**

" **It's been over a week," Harry said, looking at Hedwig's deserted perch. "Ron, you don't reckon Sirius has been caught, do you?"**

"Of course not," Sirius said with an arrogant smirk towards Umbridge and Fudge. "Besides I was in Spain and they were looking in England."

"Besides," Remus said. "If Sirius had been caught it would've been all over the Daily Prophet."

"The ministry would've wanted to show they could actually do something right," Sirius added.

Umbridge glared at the animagus.

" **Nah, it would've been in the** _ **Daily Prophet**_ **," said Ron. "The Ministry would want to show they'd caught someone, wouldn't they?"**

"They would have to be seen doing something," Ron said, repeating the minister's words from his second year.

Fudge flushed, these books were making him have many regrets.

" **Yeah, I suppose…"**

" **Look, here's the stuff Mum got for you in Diagon Alley. And she's got some gold out of your vault for you… and she's washed all your socks."**

Sirius sent Molly a grateful look; she returned it with a smile.

 **He heaved a pile of parcels onto Harry's camp bed and dropped the money bag and a load of socks next to it. Harry started unwrapping the shopping. Apart from** _ **The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 4,**_ **by Miranda Goshawk,** **he had a handful of new quills, a dozen rolls of parchment, and refills for his potion-making kit - he had been running low on spine of lionfish and essence of belladonna. He was just piling underwear into his cauldron when Ron made a loud noise of disgust behind him.**

" **What is that supposed to be?"**

**He was holding up something that looked to Harry like a long, maroon velvet dress. It had a moldy-looking lace frill at the collar and matching lace cuffs.**

Everyone who had seen Ron at the Yule Ball snickered while Ron turned red.

Molly sighed, she had wanted to get him better robes they just hadn't been able to afford them.

**There was a knock on the door, and Mrs. Weasley entered, carrying an armful of freshly laundered Hogwarts robes.**

" **Here you are," she said, sorting them into two piles. "Now, mind you pack them properly so they don't crease."**

"James' mum used to tell us the same thing," Sirius said.

"Really?" Harry asked interestedly. He hadn't heard much about his grandparents beside the fact that Sirius moved in with them when he ran away from home.

"Yeah," Sirius said with a wistful smile.

" **Mum, you've given me Ginny's new dress," said Ron, handing it out to her.**

"I wouldn't wear that if you paid me," Ginny said making a face of disgust.

Ron glared at his sister.

" **Of course I haven't," said Mrs. Weasley. "That's for you. Dress robes."**

"Those aren't dress robes," a first year Slytherin said making a face.

"Yeah they are," a sixth year Slytherin said. "They're just extremely old fashioned."

The first years comment made Ron turn redder.

" **What?" said Ron, looking horror-struck.**

"I don't blame him." Several boys muttered under their breath.

" **Dress robes!" repeated Mrs. Weasley. "It says on your school list that you're supposed to have dress robes this year… robes for formal occasions."**

Harry grimaced at the reminder of the Yule Ball, that hadn't been a good night for him.

" **You've got to be kidding," said Ron in disbelief. "I'm not wearing that, no way."**

" **Everyone wears them, Ron!" said Mrs. Weasley crossly. "They're all like that! Your father's got some for smart parties!"**

"Mine aren't like that," Zacharias said pompously.

Ron glared at him. "Shut up," he said through gritted teeth.

" **I'll go starkers before I put that on," said Ron stubbornly.**

"You could've asked," Harry told his best friend. "I would've let you wear the pair your mum bought me and got a new pair."

"I didn't think about that," Ron admitted. "But I wouldn't have let you anyway."

Molly and Arthur smiled at Harry's kindness but they wouldn't want to accept anything so expensive.

" **Don't be so silly," said Mrs. Weasley. "You've got to have dress robes, they're on your list! I got some for Harry too… show him, Harry…"**

**In some trepidation, Harry opened the last parcel on his camp bed. It wasn't as bad as he had expected, however; his dress robes didn't have any lace on them at all**

"Thank Merlin they hadn't," Parvati said under her breath. She had felt horrible for her sister having to dance with Ron while he wore those horrible lacy robes.

**\- in fact, they were more or less the same as his school ones, except that they were bottle green instead of black.**

" **I thought they'd bring out the color of your eyes, dear," said Mrs. Weasley fondly.**

"She wasn't wrong," Hermione said with a smile.

Daphne looked at Harry's eyes and smiled, she loved his green eyes.

" **Well, they're okay!" said Ron angrily, looking at Harry's robes. "Why couldn't I have some like that?"**

"Because you can't afford them," Pansy sneered.

Most of the adults sent Pansy disapproving looks while Molly and Arthur blushed.

The Weasley children were glaring at the Slytherin.

"Shut up Parkinson!" Harry and Hermione snapped in their best friend's defense.

"Don't let her get to you Ron," Daphne said with a disgusted look towards her roommate. "Trust me, she isn't worth it."

Pansy narrowed her eyes but didn't say anything when she noticed all the glares being sent her way.

" **Because…well, I had to get yours second-hand, and there wasn't a lot of choice!" said Mrs. Weasley, flushing.**

All of the Weasley's flushed slightly.

Molly really wished she could afford to buy her children nicer things but they couldn't.

Arthur sighed; he sometimes wondered if he should've taken a job that paid more.

**Harry looked away. He would willingly have split all the money in his Gringotts vault with the Weasleys, but he knew they would never take it.**

Molly and Arthur smiled once more at the boy who they thought of as another son.

"That's sweet dear," Molly said kindly. "But we could never accept any money from you."

"I know but I wish you would," Harry told her honestly. "You feed me when I'm at your house, I could at least-"

"No Harry," Arthur said firmly but kindly. "When you come over you are a guest in our home. We enjoy having you at the Burrow, the money doesn't matter."

Harry nodded, but he made a mental note to buy all of the Weasley's nice Christmas presents.

Sirius made a mental note to do something nice for Molly and Arthur.

" **I'm never wearing them," Ron was saying stubbornly. "Never."**

" **Fine," snapped Mrs. Weasley. "Go naked. And, Harry, make sure you get a picture of him. Goodness knows I could do with a laugh."**

The students snickered.

"I'm sorry Ron," Molly said. "I had been in a bad mood; I shouldn't have taken it out on any of you kids."

"It's fine mum," Ron said quietly.

**She left the room, slamming the door behind her. There was a funny spluttering noise from behind them. Pigwidgeon was choking on an overlarge Owl Treat.**

"Was he alright?" Luna asked frowning.

"He was fine," Harry assured her.

" **Why is everything I own rubbish?" said Ron furiously, striding across the room to unstick Pigwidgeon's beak.**

Ron flushed and felt guilty when he saw his parents' faces.

"Money isn't everything Ron," Harry said quietly. "You have a family that loves you, that's worth more than all the gold in Gringotts."

"I know," Ron said just as quiet.

Percy cleared his throat. "That's the end of the chapter."

"I guess I'll read next," Tonks said as she grabbed the book.


	12. Aboard the Hogwarts Express

'Aboard the Hogwarts Express,' Tonks read out to the Hall.

**There was a definite end-of-the-holidays gloom in the air when Harry awoke next morning.**

'Isn't there always?' sighed Terry dramatically.

'As much as I love it here, I love home,' Justin agreed, nodding his head.

'I personally couldn't wait to leave my parents' house,' Sirius said cheerfully, grinning widely. 'I once asked them to drop me off at King's Cross a day early, but they wouldn't have it.' Sirius heaved a sigh of long suffering. 'Regulus always got what he wanted, though. Probably because he was the perfect son,' he grumbled more quietly.

**Heavy rain was still splattering against the window as he got dressed in jeans and a sweatshirt; they would change into their school robes on the Hogwarts Express.**

**He, Ron, Fred, and George had just reached the first-floor landing on their way down to breakfast, when Mrs. Weasley appeared at the foot of the stairs, looking harassed.**

" **Arthur!" she called up the staircase. "Arthur! Urgent message from the Ministry!"**

'I doubt it'll be urgent if it's from the Ministry,' Sirius shrugged.

**Harry flattened himself against the wall as Mr. Weasley came clattering past with his robes on back-to-front**

A few people snickered.

**and hurtled out of sight.**

'Any _accidental overhearing_ that day, Harry?' Dean asked casually.

Harry shrugged, racking his memory.

**When Harry and the others entered the kitchen, they saw Mrs. Weasley rummaging anxiously in the drawers – "I've got a quill here somewhere!" - and Mr. Weasley bending over the fire, talking to -**

**Harry shut his eyes hard and opened them again to make sure that they were working properly.**

'I'm always like that in the morning,' Tonks agreed. 'I'm always seeing things that aren't there. Mad-Eye goes mental at me for it.'

'There is such a thing as constant vigilance, Nymphadora,' Mad-Eye growled at his protégée.

Tonks narrowed her eyes at her mentor, her hair taking on a red tinge. 'Just because you have the energy of a supernova in the morning,' she glared at him. 'And don't call me Nymphadora!'

'Hey, Tonks?' Sirius asked casually, leaning on one elbow. Tonks whipped her head around to look at her cousin.

'What?' she demanded, not fooled by her cousin's innocent voice.

'You said you're always seeing things that aren't there?' he asked innocently. Tonks nodded with trepidation, wondering where this was going. 'Does that mean that you're never seeing things that _are_ there?'

'Oh, _ha_ bloody _ha_ ,' Tonks scowled at Sirius, who was smirking.

**Amos Diggory's head was sitting in the middle of the flames like a large, bearded egg.**

A few people chuckled at the mental image of a bearded egg.

**It was talking very fast, completely unperturbed by the sparks flying around it and the flames licking its ears.**

"… **Muggle neighbors heard bangs and shouting, so they went and called those what-d'you-call-'ems - please-men. Arthur, you've got to get over there—"**

'Say _please_ and I'll consider it,' said Fred in a haughty voice.

" **Here!" said Mrs. Weasley breathlessly, pushing a piece of parchment, a bottle of ink, and a crumpled quill into Mr. Weasley's hands.**

" **\- it's a real stroke of luck I heard about it," said Mr. Diggory's head. "I had to come into the office early to send a couple of owls, and I found the Improper Use of Magic lot all setting off — if Rita Skeeter gets hold of this one, Arthur —"**

'She'll do what she always does and twist it so tight that it cannot be unravelled, which makes the truth impossible to decipher,' Hermione shrugged, a glint in her eye.

" **What does Mad-Eye say happened?" asked Mr. Weasley, unscrewing the ink bottle, loading up his quill, and preparing to take notes.**

Mad-Eye's eye whizzed around, giving Umbridge a malevolent glance.

**Mr. Diggory's head rolled its eyes. "Says he heard an intruder in his yard. Says he was creeping toward the house, but was ambushed by his dustbins."**

Fred and George glanced at Mad-Eye, then at each other, then at Umbridge. Suffice to say, nobody envied Toad face in that moment, and they could only wonder what evilly creative revenge pranks could be formulating inside the minds of the Weasley twins.

" **What did the dustbins do?" asked Mr. Weasley, scribbling frantically.**

'Ate the intruder,' said Dennis with a grin.

'No, Dennis,' said Colin with a sigh.

" **Made one hell of a noise and fired rubbish everywhere, as far as I can tell," said Mr. Diggory. "Apparently one of them was still rocketing around when the pleasemen turned up -"**

' _Pleasemen_?' Hermione repeated in an amused tone of voice.

**Mr. Weasley groaned.**

" **And what about the intruder?"**

" **Arthur, you know Mad-Eye," said Mr. Diggory's head, rolling its eyes again.**

'Better to have your back covered if you know you have enemies,' said Mad-Eye.

Harry had to agree with that, considering the particularly murderous enemy he had.

" **Someone creeping into his yard in the dead of night?**

'It's happened before,' the ex-Auror growled.

**More likely there's a very shell-shocked cat wandering around somewhere, covered in potato peelings. But if the Improper Use of Magic lot get their hands on Mad-Eye, he's had it — think of his record — we've got to get him off on a minor charge, something in your department — what are exploding dustbins worth?"**

'Not enough for Azkaban,' Umbridge muttered to herself.

" **Might be a caution," said Mr. Weasley, still writing very fast, his brow furrowed. "Mad-Eye didn't use his wand? He didn't actually attack anyone?"**

" **I'll bet he leapt out of bed and started jinxing everything he could reach through the window," said Mr. Diggory, "but they'll have a job proving it, there aren't any casualties."**

'No deaths, anyway,' Mad-Eye growled. 'Bloody Death Eater scum.'

" **All right, I'm off," Mr. Weasley said, and he stuffed the parchment with his notes on it into his pocket and dashed out of the kitchen again.**

**Mr. Diggory's head looked around at Mrs. Weasley.**

" **Sorry about this, Molly," it said, more calmly, "bothering you so early and everything… but Arthur's the only one who can get Mad-Eye off, and Mad-Eye's supposed to be starting his new job today.**

'Didn't get round to a lot of teaching,' Mad-Eye grumbled under his breath, before muttering about Death Eater scum.

**Why he had to choose last night…"**

" **Never mind, Amos," said Mrs. Weasley. "Sure you won't have a bit of toast or anything before you go?"**

'I don't think your mum can resist giving out food,' Lee chuckled to the twins.

'She can't,' George confirmed.

" **Oh go on, then," said Mr. Diggory.**

**Mrs. Weasley took a piece of buttered toast from a stack on the kitchen table, put it into the fire tongs, and transferred it into Mr. Diggory's mouth. "Fanks," he said in a muffled voice, and then, with a small pop, vanished.**

'Vanished with his toast,' mused Ernie.

**Harry could hear Mr. Weasley calling hurried good-byes to Bill, Charlie, Percy, and the girls. Within five minutes, he was back in the kitchen, his robes on the right way now,**

'That's an improvement,' Sirius snickered.

**dragging a comb through his hair.**

" **I'd better hurry - you have a good term, boys," said Mr. Weasley to Harry, Ron, and the twins, fastening a cloak over his shoulders and preparing to Disapparate.**

'Ha,' Harry snorted quietly, sarcasm interlaced in the tone. 'Yeah, _brilliant_ term.'

" **Molly, are you going to be all right taking the kids to King's Cross?"**

" **Of course I will," she said. "You just look after Mad-Eye, we'll be fine."**

**As Mr. Weasley vanished, Bill and Charlie entered the kitchen.**

" **Did someone say Mad-Eye?" Bill asked. "What's he been up to now?"**

Tonks snickered at the look on Mad-Eye's face.

" **He says someone tried to break into his house last night," said Mrs. Weasley.**

" **Mad-Eye Moody?" said George thoughtfully, spreading marmalade on his toast. "Isn't he that nutter -"**

Mad-Eye growled, and Tonks whistled innocently.

'Don't even say it, Nymphadora,' he growled at her.

'Say what?' Tonks asked with an air of innocence, her eyes widening in comical surprise.

'The thought that is currently bobbing around in that evil mind of yours.'

'Which thought, Mad-Eye? The fact that I'm hungry again or the fact that you're a nutter?'

Mad-Eye glared for a moment before turning away, muttering something about this generation having no respect.

" **Your father thinks very highly of Mad-Eye Moody," said Mrs. Weasley sternly.**

" **Yeah, well, Dad collects plugs, doesn't he?" said Fred quietly as Mrs. Weasley left the room.**

'Good point, my dear brother,' George nodded.

" **Birds of a feather…"**

" **Moody was a great wizard in his time," said Bill.**

' _Was_?' Mad-Eye snorted in amusement.

" **He's an old friend of Dumbledore's, isn't he?" said Charlie.**

Dumbledore sighed inaudibly, looking down at his interlocked fingers. If only he had known... how had he not known... His ignorance of there being an imposter had endangered the four Triwizard Champions, gotten one killed and the other nearly destroyed.

" **Dumbledore's not what you'd call _normal_ , though, is he?" said Fred. "I mean, I know he's a genius and everything…"**

Umbridge scoffed quietly, and Fudge glanced at her sternly with a look that clearly said _shut it_.

" **Who _is_ Mad-Eye?" asked Harry.**

'A very paranoid person,' Tonks answered nonchalantly.

" **He's retired, used to work at the Ministry," said Charlie. "I met him once when Dad took me into work with him. He was an Auror - one of the best…a Dark wizard catcher," he added, seeing Harry's blank look. "Half the cells in Azkaban are full because of him. He made himself loads of enemies, though…**

'I know the feeling,' Harry sighed.

**the families of people he caught, mainly… and I heard he's been getting really paranoid in his old age. Doesn't trust anyone anymore. Sees Dark wizards everywhere."**

'Constant vigilance,' Mad-Eye muttered.

**Bill and Charlie decided to come and see everyone off at King's Cross station, but Percy, apologizing most profusely, said that he really needed to get to work.**

" **I just can't justify taking more time off at the moment," he told them. "Mr. Crouch is really starting to rely on me."**

'Shut _up_ ,' groaned Zabini, looking close to smacking his head on the table.

" **Yeah, you know what, Percy?" said George seriously. "I reckon he'll know your name soon."**

The whole Hall snickered as Percy's ears turned red.

**Mrs. Weasley had braved the telephone in the village post office to order three ordinary Muggle taxis to take them into London.**

'This should be interesting,' smirked Justin.

" **Arthur tried to borrow Ministry cars for us," Mrs. Weasley whispered to Harry as they stood in the rain-washed yard, watching the taxi drivers heaving six heavy Hogwarts trunks into their cars. "But there weren't any to spare… Oh dear, they don't look happy, do they?"**

'I wonder why,' Colin chuckled.

**Harry didn't like to tell Mrs. Weasley that Muggle taxi drivers rarely transported overexcited owls, and Pigwidgeon was making an earsplitting racket.**

'Never shuts up,' Ron grumbled.

**Nor did it help that a number of Filibuster's Fabulous No-Heat, Wet-Start Fireworks went off unexpectedly when Fred's trunk sprang open, causing the driver carrying it to yell with fright and pain as Crookshanks clawed his way up the man's leg.**

Fred appeared to be trying to hide a smirk.

'You planned that, didn't you?' Alicia questioned, looking at the twin sternly.

'Who said I planned anything?' Fred asked in a strained voice, clearly the effort of not smiling.

**The journey was uncomfortable, owing to the fact that they were jammed in the back of the taxis with their trunks. Crookshanks took quite a while to recover from the fireworks,**

'Poor Crookshanks,' cooed Hermione.

**and by the time they entered London, Harry, Ron, and Hermione were all severely scratched.**

'What's a few cat scratches to me?' Harry muttered under his breath. 'Nothing.'

'So optimistic, dear,' said Ginny with a sarcastic smile.

**They were very relieved to get out at King's Cross, even though the rain was coming down harder than ever, and they got soaked carrying their trunks across the busy road and into the station.**

'The rain's not bad. I like the rain,' Luna smiled softly, thinking of the times she and her mother would walk around when it rained, picking flowers. They would laugh and be soaked to the skin in the end, but they didn't care – they were far too happy to care... And as they sat by the fire, warming themselves up, her mother would place the flowers in Luna's hair... Luna smiled sadly, feeling an echo of pain and loss rise from her heart, but it vaporised soon afterwards. She certainly missed her mother, but it was fine, because wherever she went, Luna could always feel her comforting presence in her mind... her soft singing, her gentle voice...

**Harry was used to getting onto platform nine and three-quarters by now. It was a simple matter of walking straight through the apparently solid barrier dividing platforms nine and ten.**

'Unless an overprotective house-elf seals it, in which case _other methods_ are needed,' smirked Lee.

**The only tricky part was doing this in an unobtrusive way, so as to avoid attracting Muggle attention. They did it in groups today; Harry, Ron, and Hermione (the most conspicuous, since they were accompanied by Pigwidgeon and Crookshanks) went first;**

'After the flying car incident, I doubt you'd want to go last again,' said Remus with a minuscule frown.

**they leaned casually against the barrier, chatting unconcernedly, and slid sideways through it…**

'That's the way to do it,' said Mad-Eye approvingly. 'Blend in, attracts less attention.'

**and as they did so, platform nine and three-quarters materialized in front of them.**

**The Hogwarts Express, a gleaming scarlet steam engine, was already there, clouds of steam billowing from it, through which the many Hogwarts students and parents on the platform appeared like dark ghosts. Pigwidgeon became noisier than ever in response to the hooting of many owls through the mist.**

'Oh, _joy_ ,' said Anthony sarcastically, rolling his eyes.

**Harry, Ron, and Hermione set off to find seats, and were soon stowing their luggage in a compartment halfway along the train. They then hopped back down onto the platform to say good-bye to Mrs. Weasley, Bill, and Charlie.**

" **I might be seeing you all sooner than you think," said Charlie, grinning, as he hugged Ginny good-bye.**

'Cryptic git,' Ginny muttered, although her tone was that of a teasing nature.

" ** _Why_?" said Fred keenly.**

" **You'll see," said Charlie. "Just don't tell Percy I mentioned it… it's 'classified information, until such time as the Ministry sees fit to release it,' after all."**

'I'd like to know which idiot thought it a brilliant idea to bring back an old tournament that hadn't been played for years due to the casualties,' Sirius said loudly and sarcastically. 'Just think, if it hadn't had been brought back, then that Diggory boy wouldn't have died.'

Fudge sank down in his seat slightly to try and ignore the glares directed his way.

" **Yeah, I sort of wish I were back at Hogwarts this year," said Bill, hands in his pockets, looking almost wistfully at the train.**

'They always say they can't wait to leave, but they always end up wishing they were back here,' McGonagall chuckled quietly.

" **Why?" said George impatiently.**

" **You're going to have an interesting year," said Bill, his eyes twinkling.**

Harry's eye twitched again. Interesting was one word for it...

" **I might even get time off to come and watch a bit of it."**

" **A bit of _what_?" said Ron.**

**But at that moment, the whistle blew, and Mrs. Weasley chivvied them toward the train doors.**

" **Thanks for having us to stay, Mrs. Weasley," said Hermione as they climbed on board, closed the door, and leaned out of the window to talk to her.**

" **Yeah, thanks for everything, Mrs. Weasley," said Harry.**

" **Oh it was my pleasure, dears," said Mrs. Weasley. "I'd invite you for Christmas, but… well, I expect you're all going to want to stay at Hogwarts, what with… one thing and another."**

'I'd rather have gone to the Burrow for Christmas,' Harry murmured.

" **Mum!" said Ron irritably. "What d'you three know that we don't?"**

'I'm personally surprised that they haven't eavesdropped on conversations before that moment,' Snape muttered under his breath.

" **You'll find out this evening, I expect," said Mrs. Weasley, smiling. "It's going to be very exciting - mind you, I'm very glad they've changed the rules -"**

'And they did a _fantastic_ job on that! Bravo, really!' said Harry in a loud and sarcastic voice, clapping slowly. 'And the security surrounding that bloody Goblet! It's _brilliant_! It's not as if a bloody Death Eater impersonating my Defence teacher managed to slip my name into the Tournament at all! Nope, everything was perfect and safe!'

" **What rules?" said Harry, Ron, Fred, and George together.**

" **I'm sure Professor Dumbledore will tell you… Now, behave, won't you? _Won't_ you, Fred? And you, George?"**

'She's asking for a miracle,' Snape mused.

**The pistons hissed loudly and the train began to move.**

" **Tell us what's happening at Hogwarts!" Fred bellowed out of the window as Mrs. Weasley, Bill, and Charlie sped away from them. "What rules are they changing?"**

'Pity it wasn't one of the more annoying rules,' sighed Fred wistfully.

**But Mrs. Weasley only smiled and waved.**

'Smile and wave, boys. Smile and wave,' murmured Dennis. ( _A/N: Sorry, I couldn't resist_ )

**Before the train had rounded the corner, she, Bill, and Charlie had Disapparated.**

**Harry, Ron, and Hermione went back to their compartment. The thick rain splattering the windows made it very difficult to see out of them. Ron undid his trunk, pulled out his maroon dress robes, and flung them over Pigwidgeon's cage to muffle his hooting.**

'They came in handy for something,' Seamus snickered as Padma's face looked a little bit green at the memory of the robes.

" **Bagman wanted to tell us what's happening at Hogwarts," he said grumpily, sitting down next to Harry. "At the World Cup, remember? But my own mother won't say. Wonder what —"**

" **Shh!" Hermione whispered suddenly, pressing her finger to her lips and pointing toward the compartment next to theirs. Harry and Ron listened, and heard a familiar drawling voice drifting in through the open door.**

'Typical,' sighed Astoria, shaking her head.

"… **Father actually considered sending me to Durmstrang rather than Hogwarts, you know.**

There was an odd light in Astoria's eyes that Malfoy couldn't quite place.

**He knows the headmaster, you see.**

'Death Eaters do tend to know each other,' Sirius muttered.

**Well, you know his opinion of Dumbledore - the man's such a Mudblood-lover -**

Snape glared at Malfoy for saying the dreaded _M_ -word.

**and Durmstrang doesn't admit that sort of riffraff. But Mother didn't like the idea of me going to school so far away.**

'Pity,' drawled Ernie in an accurate impersonation of Malfoy.

**Father says Durmstrang takes a far more sensible line than Hogwarts about the Dark Arts. Durmstrang students actually _learn_ them, not just the defence rubbish we do…"**

**Hermione got up, tiptoed to the compartment door, and slid it shut, blocking out Malfoy's voice.**

'Thank you!' said Lee dramatically, looking relieved.

" **So he thinks Durmstrang would have suited him, does he?" she said angrily. "I wish he _had_ gone, then we wouldn't have to put up with him."**

'Hear, hear!' agreed Anthony.

" **Durmstrang's another wizarding school?" said Harry.**

" **Yes," said Hermione sniffily, "and it's got a horrible reputation.**

'Viktor's not so bad though, eh Hermione?' smirked George, raising his eyebrows at Hermione.

'You can get exceptions to rules and traditions,' Hermione said matter-of-factly. 'Look at Sirius's family and background, and yet he seems all right. I doubt Durmstrang students are as bad as some people make out.'

**According to _An Appraisal of Magical Education in Europe_ , it puts a lot of emphasis on the Dark Arts."**

" **I think I've heard of it," said Ron vaguely. "Where is it? What country?"**

'It's more Northern Europe area - you know, Scandinavia,' said Sirius. 'Mother wanted me to go there, but dear old Dad said Regulus and I should carry on the proud Slytherin tradition.' He snickered darkly. 'Ah, I'll never forget the Howler Mother sent when she found out I'd disgraced her. One of the best days of the year, and it was only the first week.'

" **Well, nobody knows, do they?" said Hermione, raising her eyebrows.**

" **Er - why not?" said Harry.**

" **There's traditionally been a lot of rivalry between all the magic schools. Durmstrang and Beauxbatons like to conceal their whereabouts so nobody can steal their secrets," said Hermione matter-of-factly.**

" **Come off it," said Ron, starting to laugh. "Durmstrang's got to be about the same size as Hogwarts — how are you going to hide a great big castle?"**

'Fairytales manage it just fine,' said a Muggle-born Ravenclaw.

" **But Hogwarts _is_ hidden," said Hermione, in surprise. "Everyone knows that…well, everyone who's read _Hogwarts, A History_ , anyway."**

'In other words, just you,' shrugged Fred with a small smirk.

" **Just you, then," said Ron.**

Ron and Fred grinned at each other.

" **So go on - how d'you hide a place like Hogwarts?"**

" **It's bewitched," said Hermione. "If a Muggle looks at it, all they see is a mouldering old ruin with a sign over the entrance saying DANGER, DO NOT ENTER, UNSAFE."**

'Hold on, that doesn't make any sense,' frowned Harry. 'Remember what Riddle said in that memory? _The dead girl's parents will be here tomorrow_. Myrtle's Muggle-born, so if the castle has those sort of enchantments, how come her Muggle parents could see it?'

Hermione shrugged, not having an answer.

" **So Durmstrang'll just look like a ruin to an outsider too?"**

" **Maybe," said Hermione, shrugging, "or it might have Muggle-repelling charms on it, like the World Cup stadium. And to keep foreign wizards from finding it, they'll have made it Unplottable-"**

'Reminds me of dear old Dad's obsession with hiding the house,' Sirius sighed.

" **Come again?"**

" **Well, you can enchant a building so it's impossible to plot on a map, can't you?"**

'Similar to the Fidelius Charm,' said Flitwick.

" **Er… if you say so," said Harry.**

" **But I think Durmstrang must be somewhere in the far north," said Hermione thoughtfully. "Somewhere very cold, because they've got fur capes as part of their uniforms."**

'The fur capes don't actually look bad,' said Hermione musingly.

" **Ah, think of the possibilities," said Ron dreamily. "It would've been so easy to push Malfoy off a glacier and make it look like an accident… Shame his mother likes him…"**

'Couldn't have put it better myself,' Sirius smirked at Ron.

**The rain became heavier and heavier as the train moved farther north. The sky was so dark and the windows so steamy that the lanterns were lit by midday. The lunch trolley came rattling along the corridor, and Harry bought a large stack of Cauldron Cakes for them to share.**

'That's nice of you,' Remus smiled.

'They're my best friends,' Harry said simply, as though it explained everything.

'I believe Lily would do that, buy her friends sweets on the train,' said Remus thoughtfully. 'James did as well.'

**Several of their friends looked in on them as the afternoon progressed, including Seamus Finnigan, Dean Thomas,**

Seamus cheered for himself and best friend, and dragged Dean up by the collar and made him bow, grinning.

**and Neville Longbottom, a round-faced, extremely forgetful boy who had been brought up by his formidable witch of a grandmother. Seamus was still wearing his Ireland rosette.**

'Someone's patriotic,' Padma mused.

**Some of its magic seemed to be wearing off now; it was still squeaking "** _**Troy - Mullet - Moran** _ **!" but in a very feeble and exhausted sort of way.**

'It's getting tired,' cooed Lee.

**After half an hour or so, Hermione, growing tired of the endless Quidditch talk, buried herself once more in** _**The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 4** _ **, and started trying to learn a Summoning Charm.**

'That saved my life,' Harry murmured to Hermione, giving her a grateful smile.

**Neville listened jealously to the others' conversation as they relived the Cup match.**

" **Gran didn't want to go," he said miserably. "Wouldn't buy tickets. It sounded amazing though."**

'Oh, it was,' Seamus promised, his eyes glinting.

" **It was," said Ron. "Look at this, Neville…"**

**He rummaged in his trunk up in the luggage rack and pulled out the miniature figure of Viktor Krum.**

Ron scowled.

" **Oh _wow_ ," said Neville enviously as Ron tipped Krum onto his pudgy hand.**

" **We saw him right up close, as well," said Ron. "We were in the Top Box -"**

" **For the first and last time in your life, Weasley."**

'You can't go one second without being a complete git, can you,' Astoria sighed wearily, looking at Malfoy.

Malfoy didn't have an answer for her.

**Draco Malfoy had appeared in the doorway.**

'Damn,' murmured Terry.

**Behind him stood Crabbe and Goyle, his enormous, thuggish cronies, both of whom appeared to have grown at least a foot during the summer. Evidently they had overheard the conversation through the compartment door, which Dean and Seamus had left ajar.**

'Ah, sorry about that,' said Dean sheepishly.

'It's okay,' Harry waved his hand airily.

" **Don't remember asking you to join us, Malfoy," said Harry coolly.**

'Ah, just like your dear mother,' Remus sighed, smiling in remembrance.

" **Weasley… what is _that_?" said Malfoy, pointing at Pigwidgeon's cage.**

'An owl, you idiot,' said Tonks matter-of-factly.

**A sleeve of Ron's dress robes was dangling from it, swaying with the motion of the train, the mouldy lace cuff very obvious.**

**Ron made to stuff the robes out of sight, but Malfoy was too quick for him; he seized the sleeve and pulled.**

" **Look at this!" said Malfoy in ecstasy, holding up Ron's robes and showing Crabbe and Goyle, "Weasley, you weren't thinking of _wearing_ these, were you? I mean - they were very fashionable in about eighteen ninety…"**

" **Eat dung, Malfoy!" said Ron, the same colour as the dress robes as he snatched them back out of Malfoy's grip.**

'You didn't try to curse him this time, did you?' Susan asked, raising an eyebrow.

'No,' Ron muttered.

**Malfoy howled with derisive laughter; Crabbe and Goyle guffawed stupidly.**

" **So… going to enter, Weasley? Going to try and bring a bit of glory to the family name? There's money involved as well, you know… you'd be able to afford some decent robes if you won…"**

'Somebody going to shut him up soon?' asked Anthony with a hopeful tone in his voice.

" **What are you talking about?" snapped Ron.**

" ** _Are you going to enter_?" Malfoy repeated. "I suppose you will, Potter? You never miss a chance to show off, do you?"**

'I'm surprised you haven't snapped yet, what with having Lily's temper,' Remus mused thoughtfully. At Harry's questioning look, he continued, 'Lily would always act very cool about something, and if it got under her skin too much, she'd snap and Hex someone.' He smirked. 'Most people never saw it coming; they never suspected that a girl with an angelic face, sweet demeanour and petite frame could produce such a nasty Stinging Hex.'

'Beware the nice ones,' said Sirius simply.

'Yeah, we know,' responded Ron, looking at Harry. He and Hermione had been on the receiving end of Harry's temper a few too many times.

" **Either explain what you're on about or go away, Malfoy," said Hermione testily, over the top of** _ **The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 4**_ **.**

**A gleeful smile spread across Malfoy's pale face**

'Ew, ugly picture,' muttered Lavender.

" **Don't tell me you don't _know_?" he said delightedly. "You've got a father and brother at the Ministry and you don't even know? My God, my father told me about it ages ago… heard it from Cornelius Fudge.**

'Old Lucius always was good at bribery,' Sirius spat.

**But then, Father's always associated with the top people at the Ministry… Maybe your father's too junior to know about it, Weasley… yes… they probably don't talk about important stuff in front of him…"**

**Laughing once more, Malfoy beckoned to Crabbe and Goyle, and the three of them disappeared.**

'At least they're away from you now,' said Hannah in an optimistic voice.

**Ron got to his feet and slammed the sliding compartment door so hard behind them that the glass shattered.**

Quite a few people looked at Ron and snickered, whilst Ron's ears turned red.

" **Ron!" said Hermione reproachfully, and she pulled out her wand, muttered "** _ **Reparo!**_ **" and the glass shards flew back into a single pane and back into the door.**

'Lucky you know that spell,' said Parvati offhandedly. 'I doubt whoever cleans the train would have been impressed with glass shards everywhere.'

" **Well…making it look like he knows everything and we don't…" Ron snarled. " _'Father's always associated with the top people at the Ministry_ '…**

'Did he say it in a high pitched voice?' Fred asked eagerly.

Hermione nodded in amusement.

**Dad could've got a promotion any time… he just likes it where he is…"**

'Dad enjoys what he does,' said Ginny, nodding.

" **Of course he does," said Hermione quietly. "Don't let Malfoy get to you, Ron -"**

" **Him! Get to me! As if!" said Ron, picking up one of the remaining Cauldron Cakes and squashing it into a pulp.**

'Yeah, that's not getting to you at all,' snorted Ernie sarcastically.

**Ron's bad mood continued for the rest of the journey.**

'Fun journey, then?' Ginny asked in a casual voice, as though enquiring about the weather.

'Very,' Harry answered in a solemn voice.

**He didn't talk much as they changed into their school robes, and was still glowering when the Hogwarts Express slowed down at last and finally stopped in the pitch-darkness of Hogsmeade station.**

'Wow, Ronniekins is in a bad mood,' George mused.

**As the train doors opened, there was a rumble of thunder overhead. Hermione bundled up Crookshanks in her cloak**

'I take it that he'd stopped scratching by now,' Justin chuckled.

Hermione just nodded.

**and Ron left his dress robes over Pigwidgeon as they left the train, heads bent and eyes narrowed against the downpour. The rain was now coming down so thick and fast that it was as though buckets of ice-cold water were being emptied repeatedly over their heads.**

'Nice day,' Tonks muttered.

" **Hi, Hagrid!" Harry yelled, seeing a gigantic silhouette at the far end of the platform.**

" **All righ', Harry?" Hagrid bellowed back, waving. "See yeh at the feast if we don' drown!"**

'Cheerful for the first years,' said Lisa with a small frown.

**First years traditionally reached Hogwarts Castle by sailing across the lake with Hagrid.**

" **Oooh, I wouldn't fancy crossing the lake in this weather," said Hermione fervently, shivering as they inched slowly along the dark platform with the rest of the crowd. A hundred horseless carriages stood waiting for them outside the station.**

'Hang on. Harry, you know how you can see Thestrals?' Hermione asked, her voice enquiring.

'Yes,' Harry answered slowly, wondering where this was going.

'How come you can't see them then?'

'I didn't see Cedric get killed until the following summer,' Harry answered bluntly.

'Yes, but Cedric died in June,' said Hermione carefully. 'And yet, you couldn't see Thestrals until this year.'

'He can see the Thestrals now because he's had time to come to terms with Cedric's death, and accept it,' Luna answered in her vague voice.

**Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Neville climbed gratefully into one of them, the door shut with a snap, and a few moments later, with a great lurch, the long procession of carriages was rumbling and splashing its way up the track toward Hogwarts Castle.**

'Woo!' cheered Fred, George and Lee loudly, standing up and cheering.

'Weasleys, Jordan, sit down!' McGonagall snapped at the three grinning pranksters. They complied, but continued to grin widely.

'End of the chapter,' said Tonks, looking up and marking the page.

'Guess I'll read, then,' said Andromeda taking the book from her daughter


	13. Triwizard Tournament

**"The Triwizard Tournament,"** Andromeda read out to the hall.

"I don't like this chapter already," Sirius said in a hard voice. He didn't want to hear about his godson fighting for his life in some archaic tournament that should never have been brought back.

**Through the gates, flanked with statues of winged boars, and up the sweeping drive the carriages trundled, swaying dangerously in what was fast becoming a gale.**

"England weather really does suck," Daphne said. "I'm glad I go away during the summers."

"Where do you go?" Hermione asked interested. She wanted to get to know Daphne for Harry's sake, and thankfully she seemed like she'd be a fun person to know.

"My family always goes on holiday," Daphne told her. "My parents tend to pick a different place every year, although France is a favorite of theirs to visit for at least a week or so."

**Leaning against the window, Harry could see Hogwarts coming nearer, its many lighted windows blurred and shimmering behind the thick curtain of rain. Lightning flashed across the sky as their carriage came to a halt before the great oak front doors, which stood at the top of a flight of stone steps. People who had occupied the carriages in front were already hurrying up the stone steps into the castle.**

"I wanted to get inside as fast as I could," Lavender said as she patted down her curly hair. "The rain is horrible for my hair."

"I know what you mean," Romilda said as she threw her long glossy hair over her shoulder.

Hermione rolled her eyes at the two girls.

**Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Neville jumped down from their carriage and dashed up the steps too, looking up only when they were safely inside the cavernous, torch-lit entrance hall, with its magnificent marble staircase.**

" **Blimey," said Ron, shaking his head and sending water everywhere, "if that keeps up the lake's going to overflow.** **I'm soak - ARRGH!"**

"How much do you want to bet that Peeves just did something?" Charlie asked his older brother.

Bill snorted. "No bet, it's either Peeves or the twins and Fred and George wouldn't have had the time to set something up."

**A large, red, water-filled balloon had dropped from out of the ceiling onto Ron's head and exploded.**

"Definitely Peeves," Bill said shaking his head. "He pulled the same thing when I was at Hogwarts."

"Really?" Dennis asked and Bill nodded. "So I guess he doesn't change much."

"No," Remus said. "Peeves was doing that when I attended Hogwarts and that was two decades ago."

**Drenched and sputtering, Ron staggered sideways into Harry,**

"Sorry mate," Ron apologized.

Harry waved him off. "This was over a year ago, it's fine."

**just as a second water bomb dropped - narrowly missing Hermione, it burst at Harry's feet, sending a wave of cold water over his sneakers into his socks.**

"Look at the bright side," Sirius said to his godson. "It's not like you could get any wetter."

A few people snickered while Harry mock scowled at his godfather.

Andromeda shook her head at her cousin before looking back down at the book.

**People all around them shrieked and started pushing one another in their efforts to get out of the line of fire.**

"They were already wet," Fred pointed out.

"It's not like it would matter if they got hit by a water balloon," George said seriously.

"That's not the point," Cormac rolled his eyes. "Peeves shouldn't have been causing mayhem."

"He's a poltergeist," Fred said looking scandalized.

"It would be horrible if he wasn't causing mayhem," George said looking appalled at the thought of not causing mayhem.

There was laughter at the twins comments.

Molly sighed, she loved Fred and George but she wondered if they would ever grow up.

**Harry looked up and saw, floating twenty feet above them, Peeves the Poltergeist, a little man in a bell-covered hat and orange bow tie,**

"I wonder if Peeves and Dumbledore go clothes shopping together," Ron whispered amusedly to Harry who choked on his pumpkin juice.

**his wide, malicious face contorted with concentration as he took aim again.**

"He wouldn't be allowed at Beauxbatons," Fleur said frowning. She had run into the poltergeist the year before when she was here for the tournament and she didn't like him.

"Not at Durmstrang either," Viktor said.

"Well I like him," Fred said in defense of the air-borne menace.

"So do I," George agreed.

"You two would," Bill said dryly.

" **PEEVES!" yelled an angry voice.**

"Minerva," Sirius guessed.

McGonagall turned to him and raised an eyebrow.

Sirius shrugged. "You always yelled at him when I went to Hogwarts."

" **Peeves, come down here at ONCE!" Professor McGonagall, Deputy Headmistress and head of Gryffindor House, had come dashing out of the Great Hall;**

Sirius gave McGonagall an 'I told you so' look.

**she skidded on the wet floor and grabbed Hermione around the neck to stop herself from falling.**

McGonagall frowned. "I'm sorry Miss Granger; I hadn't meant to do that."

"I know professor," Hermione told her. "It's okay."

" **Ouch - sorry, Miss Granger -"**

" **That's all right, Professor!" Hermione gasped, massaging her throat.**

McGonagall's frown deepened, she hadn't realized she had grabbed her student so tight.

" **Peeves, get down here NOW!" barked Professor McGonagall, straightening her pointed hat and glaring upward through her square-rimmed spectacles.**

" **Not doing nothing!" cackled Peeves, lobbing a water bomb at several fifth-year girls, who screamed and dived into the Great Hall.**

The aforementioned girls glared at the book.

"My hair became even more ruined than before," one of the girls complained.

" **Already wet, aren't they? Little squirts! Wheeeeeeeeee!" And he aimed another bomb at a group of second years who had just arrived.**

The twins and Lee snickered while Remus gave Sirius a look to stop him from joining in.

" **I shall call the headmaster!" shouted Professor McGonagall. "I'm warning you, Peeves -"**

**Peeves stuck out his tongue, threw the last of his water bombs into the air, and zoomed off up the marble staircase, cackling insanely.**

"I love that poltergeist," Fred said fondly.

Filch and Umbridge glared at Fred and he grinned cheekily in return.

" **Well, move along, then!" said Professor McGonagall sharply to the bedraggled crowd. "Into the Great Hall, come on!"**

**Harry, Ron, and Hermione slipped and slid across the entrance hall and through the double doors on the right,**

"The floor was drenched," Hermione said in remembrance. "It was hard to walk on it."

"You should've performed a drying charm," a seventh year told her.

"I didn't know one at the time," Hermione admitted.

**Ron muttering furiously under his breath as he pushed his sopping hair off his face.**

**The Great Hall looked its usual splendid self, decorated for the start-of-term feast.**

"The Great Hall always looks splendid," Luna said with a dreamy smile.

Dean smirked. "Especially at the end of the year when Gryffindors banners are hanging from the ceiling."

Seamus high fived his best friend.

The Slytherins, Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs shot Dean annoyed looks.

**Golden plates and goblets gleamed by the light of hundreds and hundreds of candles, floating over the tables in midair. The four long House tables were packed with chattering students; at the top of the Hall, the staff sat along one side of a fifth table, facing their pupils. It was much warmer in here.**

"Warming charms," Remus said absentmindedly.

"What?" Seamus asked his old professor.

"There are warming charms in the Great Hall," Remus told him.

"That does make sense," Alicia said. "Hogwarts is a large old castle; it should be very cold inside. Heating charms or muggle heating would be the only ways to warm it up and since muggle electricity won't work it makes sense that there are heating charms up."

"Exactly Alicia," Remus said smiling at his ex-student.

**Harry, Ron, and Hermione walked past the Slytherins, the Ravenclaws, and the Hufflepuffs, and sat down with the rest of the Gryffindors at the far side of the Hall, next to Nearly Headless Nick, the Gryffindor ghost.**

A few Gryffindors smiled at the mention of their house ghost.

"I like Nick," Dennis said grinning.

"He's very friendly," Colin said.

**Pearly white and semitransparent,**

"That's because he's a ghost," Fred said as though he was telling everyone a huge secret.

George mock gasped. "He is?"

Fred nodded seriously while a few people snickered.

**Nick was dressed tonight in his usual doublet, but with a particularly large ruff, which served the dual purpose of looking extra-festive, and insuring that his head didn't wobble too much on his partially severed neck.**

Dennis looked at Viktor. "Does Durmstrang have ghosts?"

Viktor looked surprised at the question. "No, there are no ghosts are Durmstrang." Dennis nodded. "Nor do we have a poltergeist."

"Neither does Beauxbatons," Fleur said when a few people turned to her with questioning looks.

" **Good evening," he said, beaming at them.**

" **Says who?" said Harry, taking off his sneakers and emptying them of water.**

"It must've been raining hard," Sirius pointed out the obvious.

"It was," Harry said. "I felt like I was walking through a lake."

**"Hope they hurry up with the Sorting. I'm starving."**

"Were you channeling Ronnikins?" George asked teasingly.

"Oi!" Ron exclaimed while the other Gryffindors laughed.

**The Sorting of the new students into Houses took place at the start of every school year, but by an unlucky combination of circumstances, Harry hadn't been present at one since his own.**

"I enjoy watching the sortings," Luna said as her wide eyes stared at the book.

"I don't," a fourth year Gryffindor said. "They take too long."

"I like the songs," Colin said grinning.

"So do I," Euan said. "But this year's was a little..." He trailed off uncertainly.

"Odd?" Jimmy suggested.

"That's one word for it," Euan said dryly.

**He was quite looking forward to it. Just then, a highly excited, breathless voice called down the table.**

" **Hiya, Harry!"**

**It was Colin Creevey, a third year to whom Harry was something of a hero.**

Colin blushed as a few people snickered.

"Sorry Harry," Colin said nervously.

Harry smiled kindly at the fourth year. "It's fine Colin." Thankfully the boy had calmed down when it came to his enthusiasm towards Harry.

" **Hi, Colin," said Harry warily.**

" **Harry, guess what? Guess what, Harry? My brother's starting! My brother Dennis!"**

"Did you happen to eat half the sweet trolly?" Angelina questioned.

Colin's blush deepened. "No."

"Colin is always hyper," Ginny told her with a smile.

" **Er - good," said Harry.**

" **He's really excited!" said Colin, practically bouncing up and down in his seat. "I just hope he's in Gryffindor! Keep your fingers crossed, eh, Harry?"**

A few people shot the now beat red Colin amused looks.

" **Er - yeah, all right," said Harry. He turned back to Hermione, Ron, and Nearly Headless Nick.**

" **Brothers and sisters usually go in the same Houses, don't they?" he said. He was judging by the Weasleys, all seven of whom had been put into Gryffindor.**

"No," Sirius said as he thought about his own brother. He felt a pang of sadness but quickly pushed it down.

Andromeda glanced up at her younger sister who was still pointedly not looking in her direction. The sorting hat had wanted to put her in either Gryffindor or Ravenclaw but she begged it to place her into Slytherin. She knew what her parents would say and do if she hadn't been put into the house of the snakes. Looking back she wished she hadn't done that since she left her family anyways.

" **Oh no, not necessarily," said Hermione. "Parvati Patil's twin's in Ravenclaw, and they're identical. You'd think they'd be together, wouldn't you?"**

"That is weird," a third year Hufflepuff said.

"Not really," Su Li said. "The sorting hat places you based on your personality. If one sibling is into books and another into something else then they could easily be places into different houses. Or if one is exceptionally brave and the other extremely cunning."

Those that had siblings in different houses began to think of the differences between them and their family members.

Padma looked over at her sister and smiled, she loved her sister but she knew that Parvati wouldn't have made a good Ravenclaw. She had always been the smart one who liked to read while Parvati was more into reading Witch Weekly and giggling over famous quidditch players. At first she had been disappointed to not be in the same house as her twin but she soon realized it was a good thing. Being in separate houses made it easier for the two to be their own people while still getting to see each other on weekends and during some of their classes.

**Harry looked up at the staff table. There seemed to be rather more empty seats there than usual. Hagrid, of course, was still fighting his way across the lake with the first years;**

_'That man shouldn't be allowed to accompany children anywhere, let alone across a lake.'_ Umbridge thought disdainfully.

**Professor McGonagall was presumably supervising the drying of the entrance hall floor, but there was another empty chair too, and Harry couldn't think who else was missing.**

" **Where's the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher?" said Hermione, who was also looking up at the teachers.**

Moody glowered at the book. _'Locked in my own blasted trunk.'_

**They had never yet had a Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher who had lasted more than three terms.**

Dumbledore ran a hand over his long white beard. Memories of a young Tom Riddle coming to Hogwarts and asking for the Defense position swam to the front of his mind. _'There won't be a professor for longer than a year until Tom is defeated.'_ He thought as he internally sighed.

**Harry's favorite by far had been Professor Lupin,**

Three quarters of the hall nodded their agreement.

"You were by far the best," Dean told the werewolf.

"You were amazing," Alicia agreed.

Remus blushed at the praise; he made him happier than he could say that they liked him despite his condition.

Umbridge, Lucius and Snape looked like they swallowed sour lemons.

**who had resigned last year.**

"You should have stayed," Sirius said quietly.

Remus sighed. "You know why I couldn't Sirius; I couldn't risk almost harming someone again. If I would've hurt Harry..." A pained expression graced his features.

"But you didn't," Sirius reminded him.

Remus looked at his best friend, his expression made Sirius' stomach clench. "But I almost did." He shook his head. "I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I would've hurt him, or one of the others." He ran a scarred hand over his face. "Just drop it Sirius."

Sirius wanted to continue the conversation but he knew that Remus would never change his mind, he had always been stubborn.

**He looked up and down the staff table. There was definitely no new face there.**

" **Maybe they couldn't get anyone!" said Hermione, looking anxious.**

"Like this year," Harry said under his breath.

"We have a Defense professor," Daphne told him with a sidelong glance towards Umbridge.

"She's only here because Dumbledore couldn't find anyone so Fudge appointed her," Harry told her. _'I'd rather have Crouch again, he may have been a death eater but at least we learned something.'_ He added to himself.

**Harry scanned the table more carefully. Tiny little Professor Flitwick, the Charms teacher, was sitting on a large pile of cushions**

Flitwick smiled as a few students looked amused.

**beside Professor Sprout, the Herbology teacher, whose hat was askew over her flyaway grey hair. She was talking to Professor Sinistra of the Astronomy department. On Professor Sinistra's other side was the sallow-faced, hook-nosed, greasy-haired Potions master, Snape -**

Sirius smirked at Snape's description.

**Harry's least favorite person at Hogwarts. Harry's loathing of Snape was matched only by Snape's hatred of him,**

Remus frowned. "A hatred which is unjustified." Snape scowled. "He's not James."

 _'But he looks exactly like him.'_ Snape thought bitterly. _'Except for the eyes...Lily's eyes.'_

**a hatred which had, if possible, intensified last year, when Harry had helped Sirius escape right under Snape's overlarge nose –**

Many of the students laughed while Snape turned his cold glare towards Harry.

"Brilliant description," Seamus chortled.

**Snape and Sirius had been enemies since their own school days.**

"Something which you two need to move past," Molly said seriously. "The two of you are much too old to be behaving like children."

Sirius and Snape looked at each other and glared.

"Never going to happen," Sirius said looking disdainfully at Snape.

Snape sneered but said nothing, he would never forgive the mutt for everything he'd done to him.

**On Snape's other side was an empty seat, which Harry guessed was Professor McGonagall's. Next to it, and in the very centre of the table, sat Professor Dumbledore, the headmaster, his sweeping silver hair and beard shining in the candlelight, his magnificent deep green robes embroidered with many stars and moons.**

A few people made faces at the description of the headmaster's robes.

"He really has an eccentric sense of style," Seamus chuckled.

"Mr. Finnigan!" McGonagall chided.

Dumbledore's beard quivered. "It's quite alright Minerva, I dare say most would find the way I dress...ah eccentric."

Seamus tinged pink while Dean snickered.

**The tips of Dumbledore's long, thin fingers were together and he was resting his chin upon them, staring up at the ceiling through his half-moon spectacles as though lost in thought. Harry glanced up at the ceiling too. It was enchanted to look like the sky outside, and he had never seen it look this stormy. Black and purple clouds were swirling across it, and as another thunderclap sounded outside, a fork of lightning flashed across it.**

"That's ominous," Hermione said quietly to herself.

" **Oh hurry up," Ron moaned, beside Harry, "I could eat a hippogriff."**

A few people snorted.

"Don't let Buckbeak hear you say that," Fred sniggered.

**The words were no sooner out of his mouth than the doors of the Great Hall opened and silence fell. Professor McGonagall was leading a long line of first years up to the top of the Hall. If Harry, Ron, and Hermione were wet, it was nothing to how these first years looked.**

"I'm glad I didn't have to sail across the lake in that weather," Justin said seriously.

"It would've been fun." The twins said in unison.

"You would think that," Katie said rolling her eyes.

**They appeared to have swum across the lake rather than sailed.**

"It would've been safer for the first years to go up to the castle another way," Andromeda said frowning.

"It's tradition for the first years to sail across the lake," McGonagall said in the professor's defense. "And they were perfectly safe; Hagrid wouldn't have let anything happen to them."

Lucius sneered. _'The man can't even perform magic.'_

 _'Like the oaf could've done anything.'_ Umbridge thought.

**All of them were shivering with a combination of cold and nerves as they filed along the staff table and came to a halt in a line facing the rest of the school - all of them except the smallest of the lot, a boy with mousy hair,**

Dennis grinned; he was practically bouncing in his seat. "That's me!"

Molly smiled at the boy's innocent enthusiasm.

**who was wrapped in what Harry recognized as Hagrid's moleskin overcoat. The coat was so big for him that it looked as though he were draped in a furry black circus tent. His small face protruded from over the collar, looking almost painfully excited.**

A few people chuckled.

"To be young again," Sprout said fondly.

**When he had lined up with his terrified-looking peers, he caught Colin Creevey's eye, gave a double thumbs-up, and mouthed,** _**I fell in the lake!** _ **He looked positively delighted about it.**

"There's nothing delightful about the lake," Harry said seriously.

Fleur nodded in agreement.

Everyone looked at them; they had momentarily forgotten that the second task had taken place in the lake. Now more than ever everyone wanted to know what happened in there.

**Professor McGonagall now placed a three-legged stool on the ground before the first years and, on top of it, an extremely old, dirty patched wizard's hat.**

"It's really gross that we had to put that on," Lavender whispered to Parvati.

**The first years stared at it. So did everyone else. For a moment, there was silence. Then a long tear near the brim opened wide like a mouth, and the hat broke into song:**

_**A thousand years or more ago,** _

_**When I was newly sewn,** _

_**There lived four wizards of renown,** _

_**Whose names are still well known:** _

_**Bold Gryffindor, from wild moor,** _

The Gryffindors grinned.

"The best house!" Fred and George shouted.

_**Fair Ravenclaw, from glen,** _

It was now the Ravenclaws that grinned.

_**Sweet Hufflepuff, from valley broad,** _

The Hufflepuffs were now smiling.

"Go Hufflepuff!" A small first year girl yelled.

_**Shrewd Slytherin, from fin.** _

Half of the Slytherins smiled.

_**They shared a wish, a hope, a dream,** _

_**They hatched a daring plan** _

_**To educate young sorcerers** _

_**Thus Hogwarts School began.** _

_**Now each of these four founders** _

_**Formed their own house, for each** _

_**Did value different virtues** _

_**In the ones they had to teach.** _

_**By Gryffindor, the bravest were** _

_**Prized far beyond the rest;** _

"And the best looking," Fred said puffing out his chest.

"And the best quidditch players," George said with mock arrogance.

"With the best sense of humor," Lee added.

Many of the students laughed while Umbridge looked at them with disapproval.

_**For Ravenclaw, the cleverest** _

_**Would always be the best;** _

"I still don't know how Hermione isn't in our house," Terry said under his breath.

_**For Hufflepuff, hard workers were** _

_'Like Cedric.'_ Several people thought.

_**Most worthy of admission;** _

_**And power-hungry Slytherin** _

"He was more than just a power-hungry wizard," Blaise said sounding slightly annoyed. He was sick of everyone thinking that Salazar Slytherin and everyone in his house are nothing more than power-hungry monsters.

"We know," Harry said causing everyone to turn to him. "Well, I know that none of us know a lot about him, no one does really. But do you think Gryffindor, Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw would've been friends with him and built a school with him if he was just a power-hungry maniac?"

"Since when have you been the logical one?" Hermione asked amused, but also proud that he was trying to change people's opinions about Slytherin. She felt slightly guilty for thinking that all Slytherins were evil, it wasn't like her to jump to conclusions without thinking things through and that's exactly what she did in regards to Slytherin house. She hadn't given them a chance, Ron told her they were evil and others said the same thing and she believed it. People like Daphne were showing her that they weren't all bad, especially when people like Pettigrew were in Gryffindor. She smiled slightly; these books seemed to be doing more good than harm.

Harry blushed. "I don't know, I had just never really thought about it until recently. But the sorting hat this year said that Gryffindor and Slytherin were good friends, and I don't think Gryffindor would've been friends with him if he'd always been horrible. Over time his legend probably kept changing until it's what it is today."

Dumbledore was smiling, a proud twinkle in his eyes although he still wasn't looking at Harry.

"Well said Mr. Potter," McGonagall said with a rare smile.

Daphne leaned over and gave Harry a kiss. "You really are amazing," she said when she pulled away.

Harry's blush deepened.

_**Loved those of great ambition.** _

_**While still alive they did divide** _

_**Their favorites from the throng,** _

_**Yet how to pick the worthy ones** _

_**When they were dead and gone?** _

' _ **Twas Gryffindor who found the way,**_

"I would've thought it would've been Ravenclaw," a first year Ravenclaw said to her friend.

_**He whipped me off his head** _

_**The founders put some brains in me** _

"That sounds odd," Lee snickered.

"How did they do that?" Justin asked no one in particular.

"They all put a piece of their personality into it," Flitwick answered. "They charmed the hat to choose those that would do well in their house. This is why students are placed both by their personalities and where the hat would think they'd do the best. It isn't always obvious at first why a student is places in a specific house, but in time it becomes clear."

"Like why Hermione is in Gryffindor," Dean said. "She's the smartest in our year but in these books we've been her be extremely brave."

Hermione blushed at the compliment.

Flitwick smiled." Exactly, Mr. Thomas."

_**So I could choose instead!** _

_**Now slip me snug about your ears,** _

_**I've never yet been wrong,** _

Dumbledore glanced at Snape out of the corner of his eyes. _'Sometimes we sort too soon.'_

 _'You were wrong about Peter.'_ Sirius thought angrily. _'It isn't brave to betray your best friends to save yourself.'_

_**I'll have a look inside your mind** _

_**And tell where you belong!** _

**The Great Hall rang with applause as the Sorting Hat finished.**

" **That's not the song it sang when it Sorted us," said Harry, clapping along with everyone else.**

"It sings a different song every year," Pansy said rolling her eyes.

"Were you not listening?" Astoria asked as though speaking to a small child. "Harry missed every sorting except for his own."

"I wasn't talking to you!" Pansy snapped.

Astoria just raised an eyebrow. "I didn't know that I needed your permission to speak."

Pansy narrowed her eyes at the third year.

"Drop it," Theo said before Pansy could say anything else.

Pansy snapped her head in Theo's direction. "You're siding with her?" She asked in disbelief.

Theo resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "No," he said in a neutral tone. "However everyone is staring at you two, if you want to argue do it in the common room."

Pansy looked around and saw that everyone was staring at them, or in the case of some like Daphne glaring. She tinged pink as Andromeda went back to reading.

" **Sings a different one every year," said Ron. "It's got to be a pretty boring life, hasn't it, being a hat? I suppose it spends all year making up the next one."**

"That would suck," Marcus Belby said. "Only getting out once a year and just to sort a group of first years."

"He got to go to the Chamber of Secrets," Stephen reminded him.

"It's a hat," Michael said slowly. "I doubt it has feelings."

**Professor McGonagall was now unrolling a large scroll of parchment.**

" **When I call out your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool," she told the first years. "When the hat announces your House, you will go and sit at the appropriate table."**

" **Ackerley, Stewart!"**

Stewart Ackerley smiled at his name.

**A boy walked forward, visibly trembling from head to foot, picked up the Sorting Hat, put it on, and sat down on the stool.**

" **RAVENCLAW!" shouted the hat.**

The Ravenclaws grinned at the second year.

**Stewart Ackerley took off the hat and hurried into a seat at the Ravenclaw table, where everyone was applauding him. Harry caught a glimpse of Cho, the Ravenclaw Seeker, cheering Stewart Ackerley as he sat down.**

**For a fleeting second, Harry had a strange desire to join the Ravenclaw table too.**

Cho smiled at Harry who politely smiled back.

Daphne felt a small pang of jealousy. _'He used to like her; I learned that in the last book. But he likes you now; you're his girlfriend not her.'_ She felt someone grab her hand; she looked down and saw Harry's hand intertwined with hers.

"I like you," Harry said quietly in her ear.

Daphne couldn't stop the smile that formed on her lips. "I know; it's just..." She trailed off not knowing what to say.

"Hard to read?" Harry guessed and Daphne nodded. "I know, and unfortunately I don't think that will be the only mention of me liking Cho." He remembered asking her to the ball and some of the thoughts he had, he just hoped she wasn't mentioned too much. Not only would it be embarrassing but Daphne would feel bad as well.

Cho felt both annoyed and angry when she saw Harry and Daphne whispering to each other. For the past several months she had been growing to like Harry more and more, when things were finally moving forward these books come along and he starts dating someone else. _'It should be my hand he's holding, not hers.'_

" **Baddock, Malcolm!"**

" **SLYTHERIN!"**

Malcolm and his friends smiled.

**The table on the other side of the hall erupted with cheers; Harry could see Malfoy clapping as Baddock joined the Slytherins. Harry wondered whether Baddock knew that Slytherin House had turned out more Dark witches and wizards than any other.**

Harry cringed slightly; looking back he really had been extremely biased. "Sorry about that."

Malcolm looked surprised that Harry was talking to him, he nodded his acceptance.

**Fred and George hissed Malcolm Baddock as he sat down.**

Molly and Arthur both gave the twins disapproving looks.

"That wasn't called for," Molly said sternly.

"We know it wasn't called for," Fred told his mum.

"But it was funny," George finished.

Molly looked angry which the twins noticed and their smiles instantly vanished.

"Apologize right now," Molly said trying to keep her temper.

The twins exchanged looks. "Sorry."

Malcolm nodded before looking back at Andromeda.

" **Branstone, Eleanor!"**

" **HUFFLEPUFF!"**

Eleanor's friends cheered for her causing her to smile.

" **Cauldwell, Owen!"**

" **HUFFLEPUFF!"**

Owen's friend bumped his shoulder.

" **Creevey, Dennis!"**

The Gryffindors cheered for Dennis, and Dennis grinned.

**Tiny Dennis Creevey staggered forward, tripping over Hagrid's moleskin, just as Hagrid himself sidled into the Hall through a door behind the teachers' table.**

_'No respect for others.'_ Umbridge thought disgustedly. _'He can't even be on time.'_

**About twice as tall as a normal man, and at least three times as broad, Hagrid, with his long, wild, tangled black hair and beard, looked slightly alarming –**

Umbridge nodded causing those who noticed to glare at her.

Harry wanted to hex the annoyingly smug look off his Defense professors face.

**a misleading impression, for Harry, Ron, and Hermione knew Hagrid to possess a very kind nature.**

The trio smiled at Hagrid.

Umbridge cleared her throat and her features formed ones of disbelief.

"Dolores," Fudge leaned over and said quietly but with a hint of warning.

Umbridge felt infuriated. Fudge should be siding with her not with filthy half breeds. _'I need to do something to make him see how horrible Potter and his friends are, and how dangerous half breeds can be.'_

**He winked at them as he sat down at the end of the staff table and watched Dennis Creevey putting on the Sorting Hat. The rip at the brim opened wide—**

" **GRYFFINDOR!" the hat shouted.**

The Gryffindors grinned at the small second year.

"Go Dennis," Colin cheered.

**Hagrid clapped along with the Gryffindors as Dennis Creevey, beaming widely, took off the hat, placed it back on the stool, and hurried over to join his brother.**

" **Colin, I fell in!" he said shrilly, throwing himself into an empty seat. "It was brilliant! And something in the water grabbed me and pushed me back in the boat!"**

"The giant squid." Several people said at once.

"The squid's very nice," Luna said off handedly.

"Unfortunately, not everything in the lake is like the squid," Harry said under his breath.

Daphne shot her boyfriend a worried look.

" **Cool!" said Colin, just as excitedly.**

A few people snickered while others looked amused.

Remus smiled, he could still remember when he was at Hogwarts as a child. Sirius and James would've been just as excited as the Creevey brothers about falling into the lake.

**"It was probably the giant squid, Dennis!"**

" _ **Wow**_ **!" said Dennis, as though nobody in their wildest dreams could hope for more than being thrown into a storm-tossed, fathoms-deep lake, and pushed out of it again by a giant sea monster.**

The students laughed while Dennis blushed but he was still smiling.

"That does sound scary when it's put like that," a second year Ravenclaw said.

"But awesome." The twins said grinning.

" **Dennis! Dennis! See that boy down there? The one with the black hair and glasses? See him?** _ **Know who he is, Dennis**_ **?"**

Colin turned pink. "Sorry Harry."

Harry waved the apology off; even though it annoyed him he couldn't blame him for being excited. "It's fine."

**Harry looked away, staring very hard at the Sorting Hat, now Sorting Emma Dobbs.**

Emma Dobbs smiled from her seat at the Hufflepuff table.

**The Sorting continued; boys and girls with varying degrees of fright on their faces moving one by one to the three-legged stool, the line dwindling slowly as Professor McGonagall passed the L's.**

" **Oh hurry up," Ron moaned, massaging his stomach.**

Romilda wrinkled her nose. "He's a charming boy isn't he?" She said quietly to Demelza.

Hermione shook her head. "Charming Ronald."

Ron blushed. "I was hungry."

Ginny snorted. "You're always hungry."

" **Now, Ron, the Sortings much more important than food," said Nearly Headless Nick as "Madley, Laura!" became a Hufflepuff.**

Laura smiled as did her friends.

"No it isn't," Sirius said.

"Always thinking with your stomach," Remus said to his best friend.

"It must be a guy thing," Ginny said looking at her brothers.

" **Course it is, if you're dead," snapped Ron.**

A few people laughed while Molly looked disapproving.

"Tactful as always," Hermione said dryly.

" **I do hope this year's batch of Gryffindors are up to scratch," said Nearly Headless Nick, applauding as "McDonald, Natalie!" joined the Gryffindor table.**

"Go Nat!" Dennis yelled.

**"We don't want to break our winning streak, do we?"**

The Gryffindors grinned.

"The House cup looks so much better in Professor McGonagall's office than anyone else's," Lee said pompously.

McGonagall smiled at her house while Snape scowled.

**Gryffindor had won the Inter-House Championship for the last three years in a row.**

"And every time we've had amazing parties!" Fred shouted.

"Of course you did," Graham Montague said under his breath.

" **Pritchard, Graham!"**

" **SLYTHERIN!"**

Graham Pritchard smiled slightly.

"Poor kid," Fred said solemnly.

"Fred!" Molly chided.

" **Quirke, Orla!"**

Orla looked up at the mention of her name.

" **RAVENCLAW!"**

**And finally, with "Whitby, Kevin!"**

"Hufflepuff." Kevin's friends said smiling.

**("HUFFLEPUFF!"), the Sorting ended. Professor McGonagall picked up the hat and the stool and carried them away. "About time," said Ron, seizing his knife and fork and looking expectantly at his golden plate.**

Several people snorted.

Ginny rolled her eyes. "There are more important things than food Ron."

"I was hungry," Ron grumbled.

**Professor Dumbledore had gotten to his feet. He was smiling around at the students, his arms opened wide in welcome.**

" **I have only two words to say to you," he told them, his deep voice echoing around the Hall. "** _ **Tuck in**_ **."**

" **Hear, hear!" said Harry and Ron loudly as the empty dishes filled magically before their eyes.**

Ron's stomach growled and he blushed when those around him turned to look at him.

"We just had dinner," Lavender said.

Ron's blush deepened.

"He's a growing boy," Sirius said in his defense.

**Nearly Headless Nick watched mournfully as Harry, Ron, and Hermione loaded their own plates.**

"I could never become a ghost," Sirius said. "Imagine living for centuries not being able to eat."

A lot of the boys in the hall and a few girls made faces at the thought.

"That would be horrible," Justin said seriously.

"Imagine living for years without fudge," George said in mock sadness.

A few people giggled while the three Gryffindor chasers shook their heads.

" **Aaah, 'at's be'er," said Ron, with his mouth full of mashed potato.**

A few girls wrinkled their noses.

"Don't talk with food in your mouth," Molly said to her youngest son.

"Yes, mum," Ron said trying to ignore the twins' snickers.

" **You're lucky there's a feast at all tonight, you know," said Nearly Headless Nick. "There was trouble in the kitchens earlier."**

"Peeves." The twins, Lee and Sirius said grinning.

"Peeves." Several of the teachers sighed.

 _'As soon as Dumbledore is fired I will be getting rid of that pesky poltergeist.'_ Umbridge thought, she hated the poltergeist because he was always causing her trouble.

" **Why? Wha' 'appened?" said Harry, through a sizable chunk of steak.**

"I'm not the only one who talks with food in their mouth," Ron pointed out.

"Thanks mate," Harry said sarcastically when Molly turned to look at him.

" **Peeves, of course," said Nearly Headless Nick, shaking his head, which wobbled dangerously.**

The twins snickered at the image that sentence conjured in their minds.

"Peeves is always causing mischief," Sirius said amusedly.

"That's not a good thing," Andromeda said exasperated.

"Yes it is." The twins said in unison.

Sirius smiled at the young pranksters who grinned back.

**He pulled his ruff a little higher up on his neck. "The usual argument, you know. He wanted to attend the feast - well, it's quite out of the question, you know what he's like, utterly uncivilized, can't see a plate of food without throwing it.**

The twins grinned something that those around them couldn't fail to notice.

"Don't you two boys even think about it," Molly said sternly.

"Think about what?" Fred asked innocently.

Molly narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "You know very well what Frederick Gideon Weasley."

"I'm not Fred," Fred said pointing to George. "He is."

A few people laughed while others looked exasperated.

"That's old you know," Katie told them.

"But still funny." The twins said grinning.

"Not to everyone," Cormac said under his breath.

**We held a ghost's council -**

"A ghost's council?" Hannah asked confused.

"It's where us ghosts get together and hold meetings," Nearly Headless Nick said as he floating in through the Great Hall doors.

**the Fat Friar was all for giving him the chance –**

"Of course he was," a seventh year Gryffindor said. "Hufflepuffs are all about giving people chances."

**but most wisely, in my opinion, the Bloody Baron put his foot down."**

"It would be the Bloody Baron to say no," Fred complained.

"He ruins all the fun," George mock whined.

"Don't let the Baron hear you say that," Ron said as he glanced towards the Slytherin table.

George waved his hand. "I don't think the Baron would come listen to these books."

**The Bloody Baron was the Slytherin ghost, a gaunt and silent specter covered in silver bloodstains. He was the only person at Hogwarts who could really control Peeves.**

"Anyone would be scared of him," Orla said with a grimace.

" **Yeah, we thought Peeves seemed hacked off about something," said Ron darkly.** " **So what did he do in the kitchens?"**

" **Oh the usual," said Nearly Headless Nick, shrugging. "Wreaked havoc and mayhem. Pots and pans everywhere. Place swimming in soup.**

"That sounds lovely," Angelina said sarcastically.

"He really is a menace," Alicia said shaking her head.

The twins looked scandalized. "He is not!"

"Peeves is awesome," Lee added.

**Terrified the house-elves out of their wits—"**

Hermione narrowed her eyes at the books.

"And this is when Hermione started her whole saving house elf's thing," Ron said.

Hermione was too busy staring moodily at the book to hear what Ron had said.

"So we have Peeves to thank?" A sixth year Gryffindor said sarcastically to his friend who had to cover up a snort.

_**Clang.** _

**Hermione had knocked over her golden goblet. Pumpkin juice spread steadily over the tablecloth, staining several feet of white linen orange, but Hermione paid no attention.**

" **There are house-elves** _ **here**_ **?" she said, staring, horror-struck, at Nearly Headless Nick. "Here at** _ **Hogwarts**_ **?"**

"How did you think everything got done?" Patricia asked.

"By magic," Hermione told her.

"I guess it would be easy to assume that," Patricia said quietly to herself.

" **Certainly," said Nearly Headless Nick, looking surprised at her reaction. "The largest number in any dwelling in Britain, I believe. Over a hundred."**

Parvati shook her head. "Hermione won't like that."

"Oh, she didn't," Ron said.

" **I've never seen one!" said Hermione.**

"A good house elf is never seen," Pansy simpered.

Hermione snapped around in her direction and glared at her.

"Hermione don't," Harry said sternly before she could go off on a rant.

Hermione pursed her lips but turned around after sending Pansy one more glare.

Pansy sneered. "Stupid mudblood," she said quietly.

"Don't call her that," Astoria hissed.

Pansy looked slightly surprised that the young girl had heard her. "I can say what I want."

"Not if you don't want to get hexed you can't," Astoria said in a deathly calm voice.

"Whatever blood traitor," Pansy said with a hint of loathing in her voice.

Tracey placed her hand on Astoria's wrist. "She isn't worth it." She glared at Pansy before looking back at Andromeda.

Astoria bit back her retort but she continued to glare at Pansy.

" **Well, they hardly ever leave the kitchen by day, do they?" said Nearly Headless Nick. "They come out at night to do a bit of cleaning… see to the fires and so on… I mean, you're not supposed to see them, are you? That's the mark of a good house-elf, isn't it, that you don't know it's there?"**

Hermione made a noise in the back of her throat.

**Hermione stared at him.**

" **But they get** _ **paid**_ **?" she said. "They get** _ **holidays**_ **, don't they? And - and sick leave, and pensions, and everything?"**

A few people snorted.

"They don't want holidays," Remus said. "Nor do they want pensions or sick leave."

"Some do," Hermione said stubbornly with a glance towards Dobby who was looking down at the table.

**Nearly Headless Nick chortled so much that his ruff slipped and his head flopped off, dangling on the inch or so of ghostly skin and muscle that still attached it to his neck.**

A few people looked ill while others snickered.

" **Sick leave and pensions?" he said, pushing his head back onto his shoulders and securing it once more with his ruff. "House-elves don't want sick leave and pensions!"**

**Hermione looked down at her hardly touched plate of food, then put her knife and fork down upon it and pushed it away from her.**

Pomfrey and Molly both wore looks of disapproval.

"You aren't going to eat?" Sirius asked incredulously.

"Don't worry," Ron said before Hermione could answer. "Her whole not eating thing didn't last long."

Hermione shot Ron a glare.

" **Oh c'mon, 'Er-my-knee," said Ron, accidentally spraying Harry with bits of Yorkshire pudding.**

Ron blushed while others laughed.

"Sorry about that," Ron said sheepishly.

Harry chuckled. "It's okay."

" **Oops — sorry, 'Arry —" He swallowed. "You won't get them sick leave by starving yourself!"**

" **Slave labour," said Hermione, breathing hard through her nose. "That's what made this dinner.** _ **Slave labour**_ **."**

Eyes were rolled all around the hall.

"It's not the same thing," Daphne said gently.

Hermione was torn, she knew now that house elves liked the work that was now obvious. But it was still hard to imagine owning house elves; it was hard for her to think it was okay to basically own another living creature that had opinions and feelings of their own. A pet was one thing but a house elf was almost human. She should've listened when Nearly Headless Nick and others told her that house elves liked the work but it was hard to believe. But when even adults like Remus were telling her that then she couldn't help but listen, and Winky should've been a clue. The poor house elf had been devastated when she was fired. She would need to find some other way to help the house elves, a way that would make everyone happy.

**And she refused to eat another bite.**

A few people, mostly teenage boys looked scandalized.

"Mental," Ron said under his breath.

**The rain was still drumming heavily against the high, dark glass. Another clap of thunder shook the windows, and the stormy ceiling flashed, illuminating the golden plates as the remains of the first course vanished and were replaced, instantly, with puddings.**

"Dessert," Derek said rubbing his hands together. "That's always the best part."

"I agree," Ritchie said with a look of longing at the table in front of him.

" **Treacle tart, Hermione!" said Ron, deliberately wafting its smell toward her. "Spotted dick, look! Chocolate gateau!"**

Ron's stomach growled again, what he wouldn't give for a treacle tart or a bowl of ice cream.

**But Hermione gave him a look so reminiscent of Professor McGonagall that he gave up.**

"She gets that look a lot," Harry said.

"It's scary, it is," Ron said seriously.

**When the puddings too had been demolished, and the last crumbs had faded off the plates, leaving them sparkling clean, Albus Dumbledore got to his feet again. The buzz of chatter filling the Hall ceased almost at once, so that only the howling wind and pounding rain could be heard.**

" **So!" said Dumbledore, smiling around at them all. "Now that we are all fed and watered,"**

"We aren't horses," Harper said under his breath.

**("Hmph!" said Hermione)**

Zacharias rolled his eyes. "It's your own fault that you didn't eat."

Harry and Ron both glared at the Hufflepuff.

 **"I must once more ask for your attention, while I give out a few notices.** **Mr. Filch, the caretaker, has asked me to tell you that the list of objects forbidden inside the castle has this year been extended to include Screaming Yo-yos, Fanged Frisbees, and Ever-Bashing Boomerangs.**

"I love fanged frisbees," a second year Hufflepuff said.

"I don't see why any of those things are banned," Cadwallader grumbled.

**The full list comprises some four hundred and thirty-seven items, I believe, and can be viewed in Mr. Filch's office, if anybody would like to check it."**

Eyes were rolled at all four house tables.

"Four hundred and thirty-seven items?" A first year said wide eyed. "That's a lot."

"No one actually looks at that list," Fred announced causing Filch to glare at him.

"And people still use those items," George added.

Umbridge smiled triumphantly as she scribbled on her clipboard. Harry had to resist the urge to groan and slap the twins when he saw her.

**The corners of Dumbledore's mouth twitched.**

Dumbledore smiled and his eyes twinkled as Umbridge looked up from her clipboard to stare angrily at him.

 _'He sets a horrible example.'_ Umbridge thought angrily.

**He continued, "As ever, I would like to remind you all that the forest on the grounds is out-of-bounds to students,**

"He looked at us when he said that," Ron leaned over Hermione to whisper to Harry.

"He has ever since second year," Harry told him.

**as is the village of Hogsmeade to all below third year.**

"That sucks." Several first and second years complained.

"Why can't first and second years go?" A first year asked curiously.

"For safety reasons," Sprout answered.

McGonagall elaborated. "First and second years aren't as responsible, it's better for everyone if only those in third year and up go."

**It is also my painful duty to inform you that the Inter-House Quidditch Cup will not take place this year."**

"What?" Oliver demanded looking horrified; he hadn't known there had been no quidditch the year before. "Why not?"

"Because of the tournament," Katie answered.

"That doesn't mean they should've canceled quidditch," Oliver said as though it wounded him greatly to even think about his favorite sport being canceled.

" _ **What**_ **?" Harry gasped.**

"I had a similar reaction," Cho said.

"So did I." All of the quidditch players in the hall said.

**He looked around at Fred and George, his fellow members of the Quidditch team. They were mouthing soundlessly at Dumbledore, apparently too appalled to speak.**

"We were." The twins said.

**Dumbledore went on, "This is due to an event that will be starting in October, and continuing throughout the school year, taking up much of the teachers' time and energy - but I am sure you will all enjoy it immensely.**

Harry didn't bother to stop the snort that left him. "I wouldn't call what we had to do fun."

He was sent pitying looks from some people but he ignored them.

**I have great pleasure in announcing that this year at Hogwarts -"**

_'Great pleasure.'_ Harry thought bitterly. _'There was nothing pleasurable about that tournament.'_

**But at that moment, there was a deafening rumble of thunder and the doors of the Great Hall banged open.**

"Now that's perfect timing," Justin said seriously.

"I wonder if he planned that." Owen Cauldwell mused.

Stebbins snorted. "I doubt that."

**A man stood in the doorway, leaning upon a long staff, shrouded in a black traveling cloak.**

Every student except for the first years turned to look at Moody.

**Every head in the Great Hall swiveled toward the stranger, suddenly brightly illuminated by a fork of lightning that flashed across the ceiling. He lowered his hood, shook out a long mane of grizzled, dark gray hair, then began to walk up toward the teachers' table.**

Both of Moody's eyes narrowed onto the book. _'Death eating scum.'_ His blood boiled and he felt his fury rise every time he thought about Barty Crouch Jr. He wanted to hear what exactly that man said and did when he was impersonating him.

Harry glared at the book; it was partly because of Crouch that Cedric was dead.

 **A dull** _ **clunk**_ **echoed through the Hall on his every other step. He reached the end of the top table, turned right, and limped heavily toward Dumbledore. Another flash of lightning crossed the ceiling. Hermione gasped.** **The lightning had thrown the man's face into sharp relief, and it was a face unlike any Harry had ever seen.**

"No offense," Harry said quickly when the ex-aurors magical eyes swiveled to look at him.

Moody grunted. "None taken Potter." His magical eye swiveled back towards the book.

**It looked as though it had been carved out of weathered wood by someone who had only the vaguest idea of what human faces are supposed to look like,**

The twins snorted at the description and Molly gave then a look that told them to keep quiet.

"Nice description," Eddie said under his breath.

**and was none too skilled with a chisel. Every inch of skin seemed to be scarred. The mouth looked like a diagonal gash, and a large chunk of the nose was missing. But it was the man's eyes that made him frightening.**

By now almost everyone was looking at Moody.

"What?" Moody barked causing the younger students to jump.

"Alastor." Molly, McGonagall, Sprout and Pomfrey reprimanded.

"Don't be mean Mad-Eye," Tonks said amusedly.

Moody grunted and said nothing.

**One of them was small, dark, and beady. The other was large, round as a coin, and a vivid, electric blue.**

The eye in question was swiveling around in its socket causing a few girls to make faces.

"How'd you lose your eye?" A second year Ravenclaw asked curiously.

"Death eater," Moody grunted not elaborating any further.

"Being an auror definitely isn't good for a persons appearance," Romilda whispered to her friends.

**The blue eye was moving ceaselessly, without blinking, and was rolling up, down, and from side to side, quite independently of the normal eye - and then it rolled right over, pointing into the back of the man's head, so that all they could see was whiteness.**

A few girls looked green at the description.

"His eye always gives me the creeps," Lavender whispered to Parvati.

"It shouldn't even be legal," Parvati whispered back as she thought how the eye could see through everything.

 **The stranger reached Dumbledore. He stretched out a hand that was as badly scarred as his face, and Dumbledore shook it, muttering words Harry couldn't hear.** **He seemed to be making some inquiry of the stranger, who shook his head unsmilingly and replied in an undertone. Dumbledore nodded and gestured the man to the empty seat on his right-hand side.**

Dumbledore sighed, he still felt guilty that he hadn't been able to tell that he had been an impostor. He had known the man for decades, he should've been able to see that Crouch wasn't really Moody.

Moody's hands gripped the arms of his chair.

**The stranger sat down, shook his mane of dark grey hair out of his face, pulled a plate of sausages toward him, raised it to what was left of his nose, and sniffed it. He then took a small knife out of his pocket, speared a sausage on the end of it, and began to eat.**

Lavender wrinkled her nose. "Lovely table manners," she said under her breath.

**His normal eye was fixed upon the sausages, but the blue eye was still darting restlessly around in its socket, taking in the Hall and the students.**

"Paranoid," Zacharias muttered.

" **May I introduce our new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher?" said Dumbledore brightly into the silence. "Professor Moody."**

 _'More like death eating bastard.'_ Moody thought angrily.

Harry looked at Moody and wondered how different his teaching style would've been compared to Barty Crouch Jr's.

**It was usual for new staff members to be greeted with applause, but none of the staff or students chapped except Dumbledore and Hagrid, who both put their hands together and applauded, but the sound echoed dismally into the silence, and they stopped fairly quickly. Everyone else seemed too transfixed by Moody's bizarre appearance to do more than stare at him.**

A few people snickered.

"He looks creepy," a second year girl whispered to her neighbor.

" **Moody?" Harry muttered to Ron. "** _ **Mad-Eye Moody**_ **? The one your dad went to help this morning?"**

Arthur sighed; he wondered if things would've happened differently if he had made it to Moody's earlier. Would he have caught Barty Crouch Jr? Would Harry still have been entered into the tournament? Would Cedric still have died? And would Voldemort have risen again?

"You couldn't have known," Molly said quietly as she took her husband's hand.

" **Must be," said Ron in a low, awed voice.**

" **What happened to him?" Hermione whispered. "What happened to his** _ **face**_ **?"**

"Years of fighting death eaters," Moody grunted.

"Not all aurors look like that," Tonks said gesturing to her face.

Moody's magic eye found Tonks causing her to grin cheekily, some of the students laughed at the scene.

" **Dunno," Ron whispered back, watching Moody with fascination.**

Ron's ears turned red as the twins sniggered.

**Moody seemed totally indifferent to his less-than-warm welcome. Ignoring the jug of pumpkin juice in front of him, he reached again into his traveling cloak, pulled out a hip flask, and took a long draught from it.**

_'Polyjuice potion.'_ Hermione and Harry thought.

 _'Stupid scum used my own protection methods against me.'_ Moody thought bitterly. Everyone knows he checks his food and only drinks from his own flask.

**As he lifted his arm to drink, his cloak was pulled a few inches from the ground, and Harry saw, below the table, several inches of carved wooden leg, ending in a clawed foot.**

"Good observation," Kingsley said off handedly.

**Dumbledore cleared his throat.**

" **As I was saying," he said, smiling at the sea of students before him, all of whom were still gazing transfixed at Mad-Eye Moody, "we are to have the honor of hosting a very exciting event over the coming months, an event that has not been held for over a century.**

Sirius growled. "With good reason."

Pomfrey was looking at the book in complete disapproval; she had been against bringing the tournament back.

**It is my very great pleasure to inform you that the Triwizard Tournament will be taking place at Hogwarts this year."**

Harry and Fleur looked at each other briefly while Daphne and Bill each grabbed their significant others hand.

"It shouldn't have," Sirius said through gritted teeth. He had been terrified when he learned that Harry's name had come out of the goblet of fire. He hadn't been that scared in a long time, he had felt like his heart was going to shatter into a million pieces. He wasn't looking forward to hearing about what happened during the tournament. Harry had told him what happened during the third task and it had been heart breaking to hear and he knew it would be even harder to read from Harry's point of view.

" **You're JOKING!" said Fred Weasley loudly.**

"Unfortunately no," Hermione said sadly.

**The tension that had filled the Hall ever since Moody's arrival suddenly broke. Nearly everyone laughed, and Dumbledore chuckled appreciatively.**

" **I am** _ **not**_ **joking, Mr. Weasley," he said, "though now that you mention it, I did hear an excellent one over the summer about a troll, a hag, and a leprechaun who all go into a bar..."**

The students snickered while the adults all looked at Dumbledore.

Umbridge once more scribbled something onto her clipboard.

**Professor McGonagall cleared her throat loudly.**

" **Er - but maybe this is not the time…no…" said Dumbledore,**

"No," Ted said with a small smile.

" **Where was I? Ah yes, the Triwizard Tournament… well, some of you will not know what this tournament involves, so I hope those who** _ **do**_ **know will forgive me for giving a short explanation, and allow their attention to wander freely.**

"Dumbledore is the only professor I know that would tell students that they didn't have to listen," a seventh year Ravenclaw said to her friends.

**The Triwizard Tournament was first established some seven hundred years ago as a friendly competition between the three largest European schools of wizardry: Hogwarts, Beauxbatons, and Durmstrang.**

"Friendly competition," Harry said incredulously.

"I'd hate to see what they thought of as dangerous and violent if those tasks were friendly," Charlie said seriously. He himself had a hard time near dragons when he was with five other handlers. He couldn't imagine having to face a dragon one on one. He loved dragons but he knew they were extremely dangerous especially for young teenagers that aren't trained.

**A champion was selected to represent each school, and the three champions competed in three magical tasks. The schools took it in turns to host the tournament once every five years, and it was generally agreed to be a most excellent way of establishing ties between young witches and wizards of different nationalities -**

Hermione and Viktor smiled at each other as Fleur leaned her head on Bill's shoulder.

**until, that is, the death toll mounted so high that the tournament was discontinued."**

"Which is exactly why it shouldn't have been brought back," Sirius said angrily.

"It really shouldn't have," Andromeda sighed.

Glares were sent to a flustered Fudge.

" _ **Death toll**_ **?" Hermione whispered, looking alarmed. But her anxiety did not seem to be shared by the majority of students in the Hall; many of them were whispering excitedly to one another, and Harry himself was far more interested in hearing about the tournament than in worrying about deaths that had happened hundreds of years ago.**

Harry sighed. "I was naive."

"You didn't know that something bad would happen," Hermione said comfortingly.

" **There have been several attempts over the centuries to reinstate the tournament," Dumbledore continued, "none of which has been very successful.**

Molly sniffed. "With good reason."

**However, our own departments of International Magical Cooperation and Magical Games and Sports have decided the time is ripe for another attempt. We have worked hard over the summer to ensure that this time, no champion will find himself or herself in mortal danger.**

"That worked well," Sirius snarled.

"Sirius," Remus said putting a hand on his friends shoulder.

Sirius shook his head. "Sorry, I just don't want to hear this."

"Neither do I," Remus sighed. "But we don't have much of a choice." He leaned towards his ear to whisper so no one else could hear. "We need to be strong for Harry, griping about it won't help him." He didn't want to hear about Harry participating in the tournament either but he also knew that he had to be here and that complaining about it wouldn't help Harry.

Sirius looked at his godson who now had one arm wrapped around Daphne's waist. He grudgingly nodded. "Okay." He hadn't been there for Harry for all of the years he'd been in Azkaban but he swore to himself that he'd be here now.

**The heads of Beauxbatons and Durmstrang will be arriving with their short-listed contenders in October, and the selection of the three champions will take place at Halloween. An impartial judge will decide which students are most worthy to compete for the Triwizard Cup, the glory of their school, and a thousand Galleons personal prize money."**

Harry shook his head, he didn't think money or glory was worth facing the things he had in his fourth year.

" **I'm going for it!" Fred Weasley hissed down the table, his face lit with enthusiasm at the prospect of such glory and riches.**

Molly frowned, she was really glad that there had been an age line. Then she felt a pang in her heart as she remembered that it didn't stop Harry from having to compete.

Arthur was thankful that his sons hadn't been able to enter, he had been worried enough about Harry being a champion.

**He was not the only person who seemed to be visualizing himself as the Hogwarts champion. At every House table, Harry could see people either gazing raptly at Dumbledore, or else whispering fervently to their neighbors, but then Dumbledore spoke again, and the Hall quieted once more.**

"I think everyone wanted to enter," Stephen said as he remembered everyone talking about wanting to enter.

"I didn't," Hermione said fervently.

" **Eager though I know all of you will be to bring the Triwizard Cup to Hogwarts," he said, "the heads of the participating schools, along with the Ministry of Magic, have agreed to impose an age restriction on contenders this year.**

"Who decided that there should be an age line?" Hermione asked as she focused on the words, 'have agreed'.

"It was I who suggested using an age line," Dumbledore answered. "The ministry saw no need for it since the goblet would only choose a worthy student but I thought that it would be safer if there was an age line." In truth he had wanted to place an age line because he had been worried that someone would enter Harry into the tournament. He thought by placing an age line and other protective spells that Harry would be safe, but in the end it didn't do anyone much good.

Sirius opened his mouth but shut it when Remus shook his head and he grudgingly closed his mouth.

Moody's magical eye spun around until it focused on the headmaster. It seemed to him that Dumbledore placed the age line to keep Harry out of the competition by the way Dumbledore's eyes were looking in the fifth years direction although he still wasn't looking directly at the boy.

**Only students who are of age - that is to say, seventeen years or older - will be allowed to put forward their names for consideration.**

"Too bad it didn't work so well," Zacharias said in his usual pompous voice.

Most of the Gryffindors glared at the Hufflepuff.

"Harry didn't enter himself," Ron snapped. He was still angry at himself for not believing that himself last year.

"We'll see soon if that's the truth," Zacharias said staring at Harry.

Harry rolled his eyes, he didn't care if Zacharias believed him or not.

**This" — Dumbledore raised his voice slightly, for several people had made noises of outrage at these words, and the Weasley twins were suddenly looking furious -**

Knowing now what they did about the tournament the twins were glad they weren't able to enter.

**"is a measure we feel is necessary, given that the tournament tasks will still be difficult and dangerous, whatever precautions we take, and it is highly unlikely that students below sixth and seventh year will be able to cope with them.**

Harry ignored all of the looks being sent his way. A part of him still wondered if he would've got through all three tasks if Crouch hadn't been helping him even though he hadn't known he was being helped at the time.

**I will personally be ensuring that no underage student hoodwinks our impartial judge into making them Hogwarts champion."**

Amelia looked at Dumbledore; he really should've thought to protect the goblet against impostors. But then again not even she imagined that a death eater would infiltrate Hogwarts disguised as an ex-auror.

**His light blue eyes twinkled as they flickered over Fred's and George's mutinous faces. "I therefore beg you not to waste your time submitting yourself if you are under seventeen.**

Those that knew what happened to those who tried to enter anyways laughed. The students who tried entering under seventeen and ended up with beards blushed with the exception of the twins.

**The delegations from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang will be arriving in October and remaining with us for the greater part of this year. I know that you will all extend every courtesy to our foreign guests while they are with us,**

"We did," Fred said.

"Some of us more than others," George said with a wink at Hermione.

Hermione blushed, lucky for her Viktor didn't see the exchange. Ron however did and he scowled, he didn't like the idea of Hermione being with Viktor Krum.

**and will give your whole-hearted support to the Hogwarts champion when he or she is selected.**

Harry looked down as he thought about Cedric.

**And now, it is late, and I know how important it is to you all to be alert and rested as you enter your lessons tomorrow morning. Bedtime! Chop chop!"**

**Dumbledore sat down again and turned to talk to Mad-Eye Moody. There was a great scraping and banging as all the students got to their feet and swarmed toward the double doors into the entrance hall.**

" **They can't do that!" said George Weasley, who had not joined the crowd moving toward the door, but was standing up and glaring at Dumbledore. "We're seventeen in April, why can't we have a shot?"**

" **They're not stopping me entering," said Fred stubbornly, also scowling at the top table. "The champions'll get to do all sorts of stuff you'd never be allowed to do normally.**

"You want to face a dragon?" Charlie asked his brother with a raised eye brow.

Fred grimaced. "Knowing what the tasks are now I wouldn't want to enter."

**And a thousand Galleons prize money!"**

" **Yeah," said Ron, a faraway look on his face. "Yeah, a thousand Galleons…"**

Harry glanced at the twins who winked at him. Harry was glad he had given the twins his prize money.

"A thousand galleons," Lee said with a faraway look in his eyes.

"You could buy so much with that," Stewart said as he thought about what he'd buy.

"I wouldn't risk my life for a thousand galleons," Susan said.

" **Come on," said Hermione, "we'll be the only ones left here if you don't move."**

**Harry, Ron, Hermione, Fred, and George set off for the entrance hall, Fred and George debating the ways in which Dumbledore might stop those who were under seventeen from entering the tournament.**

" **Who's this impartial judge who's going to decide who the champions are?" said Harry.**

" **Dunno," said Fred, "but it's them we'll have to fool. I reckon a couple of drops of Aging Potion might do it, George…"**

Katie, Alicia and Angelina laughed as they remembered the twins getting beards.

"That worked out well," Angelina said once she stopped laughing.

Molly narrowed her eyes. _'Those two better not have done anything foolish.'_

" **Dumbledore knows you're not of age, though," said Ron.**

" **Yeah, but he's not the one who decides who the champion is, is he?" said Fred shrewdly. "Sounds to me like once this judge knows who wants to enter, he'll choose the best from each school and never mind how old they are. Dumbledore's trying to stop us giving our names."**

" **People have died, though!" said Hermione in a worried voice as they walked through a door concealed behind a tapestry and started up another, narrower staircase.**

"Which is why it shouldn't have been brought back," Andromeda said under her breath before she continued to read.

" **Yeah," said Fred airily, "but that was years ago, wasn't it?**

"That doesn't mean it isn't dangerous now," Hermione told him.

**Anyway, where's the fun without a bit of risk?**

"Facing a fully grown dragon is more than a little risk," Bill said dryly. He didn't want to picture any of his brothers facing off against a dragon.

"Not to mention the grindylow," Fleur said with a shudder.

Bill put his arm around the veela.

**Hey, Ron, what if we find out how to get 'round Dumbledore? Fancy entering?"**

" **What d'you reckon?" Ron asked Harry. "Be cool to enter, wouldn't it?**

Harry shook his head unconsciously.

Ron grimaced at his past self's words.

**But I s'pose they might want someone older… Dunno if we've learned enough…"**

" **I definitely haven't," came Neville's gloomy voice from behind Fred and George. "I expect my gran'd want me to try, though. She's always going on about how I should be upholding the family honor.**

McGonagall and Remus both frowned, both of them made mental notes to talk to Augusta.

"You don't have anything to prove to her," Harry told Neville seriously. "You're great just the way you are."

Neville smiled. "Thanks Harry."

**I'll just have to — oops…"**

**Neville's foot had sunk right through a step halfway up the staircase.**

Neville blushed while several Slytherins and Zacharias rolled their eyes.

Pansy laughed loudly causing the Gryffindors and some of the other students to glare at her.

The adults looked at the Slytherin disapprovingly.

"It's not funny," Hermione snapped. "Anyone can accidentally step there."

Pansy stopped laughing and glared at Hermione.

"Thanks Hermione," Neville said quietly.

"Don't mention it," Hermione told him.

**There were many of these trick stairs at Hogwarts; it was second nature to most of the older students to jump this particular step, but Neville's memory was notoriously poor. Harry and Ron seized him under the armpits and pulled him out,**

"Thanks," Neville said sincerely.

"Such sweet boys," Molly said kindly.

Harry and Ron both blushed.

**while a suit of armor at the top of the stairs creaked and clanked, laughing wheezily.**

A few people laughed.

"I love the suits of armor," Andrew said with mirth.

"They do have a good sense of humor," Kenneth said.

" **Shut it, you," said Ron, banging down its visor as they passed.**

More people laughed as Neville smiled at Ron.

**They made their way up to the entrance to Gryffindor Tower, which was concealed behind a large portrait of a fat lady in a pink silk dress.**

" **Password?" she said as they approached.**

" **Balderdash," said George, "a prefect downstairs told me."**

**The portrait swung forward to reveal a hole in the wall through which they all climbed. A crackling fire warmed the circular common room, which was full of squashy armchairs and tables.**

"The best common room in the castle," Sirius said grinning.

"And you would know this how?" Andromeda looked up from the book to ask.

"I've been in all the common rooms," Sirius said reminiscently.

"Excuse me?" McGonagall, Sprout and Flitwick said as they eyed the animagus.

"Slytherin common room in my fourth year," Sirius smirked as Snape scowled. "I went into the Ravenclaw common room a few times starting the same year."

"And when did you enter the Hufflepuff common room?" Sprout inquired.

"Fifth year," Sirius said with a dreamy look in his eyes. "Sheila Smith."

"Say no more," Andromeda said holding up a hand.

Several of the older boys snickered while the teachers, Andromeda and Molly looked disapproving.

"I can't believe you said that," Remus said shaking his head.

"It's not like they can give me a detention," Sirius said with a smirk.

McGonagall pursed her lips and narrowed her eyes causing Sirius' smirk to fall.

**Hermione cast the merrily dancing flames a dark look, and Harry distinctly heard her mutter "** _**Slave labour** _ **"**

Eyes were rolled at Hermione's comment.

"I really hope she doesn't go on about that this entire book," Adrian Pucey muttered to Terence Higgs.

**before bidding them good night and disappearing through the doorway to the girls' dormitory.**

"And there began SPEW," Ron said.

"It's not SPEW," Hermione said sounding annoyed.

"Keep reading please," Harry told Andromeda before a fight could break out.

**Harry, Ron, and Neville climbed up the last, spiral staircase until they reached their own dormitory, which was situated at the top of the tower. Five four-poster beds with deep crimson hangings stood against the walls, each with its owner's trunk at the foot. Dean and Seamus were already getting into bed; Seamus had pinned his Ireland rosette to his headboard,**

Seamus grinned.

"He still has that," Dean said chuckling.

"Ireland supporter and proud of it," Seamus said unashamed.

**and Dean had tacked up a poster of Viktor Krum over his bedside table.**

Dean looked sheepish as Viktor turned to look at him. "I got it at the game," Dean mumbled.

Seamus laughed at his best friend's obvious discomfort.

**His old poster of the West Ham football team was pinned right next to it.**

"It looks funny," Seamus said. "A moving poster next to a muggle one."

" **Mental," Ron sighed, shaking his head at the completely stationary football players.**

The hall burst into laughter.

"After three years you still think that?" Charlie asked his brother as he laughed.

Ron's ears turned red.

**Harry, Ron, and Neville got into their pajamas and into bed. Someone- a house-elf, no doubt - had placed warming pans between the sheets. It was extremely comfortable, lying there in bed and listening to the storm raging outside.**

" **I might go in for it, you know," Ron said sleepily through the darkness, "if Fred and George find out how to… the tournament… you never know, do you?"**

Ron sighed. Even if Harry had entered he shouldn't have been mad at him since he had wanted to enter himself.

" **S'pose not…"**

**Harry rolled over in bed, a series of dazzling new pictures forming in his mind's eye… He had hoodwinked the impartial judge into believing he was seventeen…**

Harry groaned as the hall turned to stare at him.

"It was just a dream," Harry said slightly annoyed.

**he had become Hogwarts champion… he was standing on the grounds, his arms raised in triumph in front of the whole school, all of whom were applauding and screaming… he had just won the Triwizard Tournament.**

Umbridge, Zacharias, Pansy and a few others looked triumphant. Maybe this book would show that he did put his name in the goblet.

 _'Cornelius told me that a death eater who had gone rogue put the boy's name in.'_ Umbridge thought. _'But maybe the boy and Dumbledore only tricked him into believing that.'_

**Cho's face stood out particularly clearly in the blurred crowd, her face glowing with admiration…**

Cho couldn't stop herself from smiling.

Harry squeezed Daphne's hand; she was trying not to let it get to her. _'He likes me, he doesn't like her anymore.'_

**Harry grinned into his pillow, exceptionally glad that Ron couldn't see what he could.**

Andromeda marked the page and closed the book. "That's the end of the chapter." She held the book up. "Who wants to read next?"

Her husband grabbed the book. "I will." Ted cleared his throat as he opened the book then began to read.


	14. Mad-Eye-Moody

**"Mad-Eye Moody,"** read out Ted.

Moody's magical eye spun in its socket. _'Time to hear what that impostor did when he was pretending to be me.'_

**The storm had blown itself out by the following morning, though the ceiling in the Great Hall was still gloomy; heavy clouds of pewter grey swirled overhead as Harry, Ron, and Hermione examined their new course schedules at breakfast.**

"Hermione's favorite day," Ron teased. "Finding out our class schedule for the year."

Hermione rolled her eyes but a smile was tugging at her lips.

**A few seats along, Fred, George, and Lee Jordan were discussing magical methods of aging themselves and bluffing their way into the Triwizard Tournament.**

"That worked out well, didn't it?" Alicia joked.

Fred and George grinned sheepishly; they should've known it wouldn't work.

" **Today's not bad… outside all morning," said Ron, who was running his finger down the Monday column of his schedule. "Herbology with the Hufflepuffs**

Neville smiled at the mention of his favorite class.

"Classes with the Hufflepuffs are peaceful," Dean said.

"That's because unlike some people they don't try to start problems," Ron said with a glare towards the Slytherin table.

Harry sighed. "Ron, not all of the Slytherins are like Malfoy."

Draco scowled and Narcissa frowned. Narcissa was beginning to get a bad feeling about how her son behaved when she wasn't near him; she just hoped that she was wrong.

Ron looked at Daphne and his cheeks tinged pink. "Sorry."

"It's okay," Daphne assured him. "Some Slytherins give us a bad name."

Draco glared at Daphne but a part of him admitted that she was right, but he quickly squashed that part down.

**and Care of Magical Creatures… damn it, we're still with the Slytherins…"**

"Classes don't really change," Remus said to Ron. "If you're with the Slytherins one year you most likely will be for the next six."

"I know," Ron said slightly grumpily. "But I can hope."

Dean and Seamus snickered.

" **Double Divination this afternoon," Harry groaned, looking down.**

Harry, Ron, Dean, and Seamus groaned.

Lavender, Parvati and Trelawney looked affronted.

Hermione rolled her eyes; Divination was just a waste of time.

**Divination was his least favorite subject, apart from Potions.**

"No class is worse than Potions," Ron grumbled.

"I would like it if there was a different teacher," Harry said off handedly.

McGonagall, Sprout, Flitwick, Pomfrey and Molly glared at Snape who just sneered in return.

Dumbledore sighed inaudibly; he wondered how many students had been turned off from Potions because of Snape's teaching methods.

Amelia wrote something down; she really needed to do something about Snape. Her niece had complained about him before but until these books she had never known just how bad he was. There were probably hundreds of students who failed at Potions because of his teaching methods. The world needed good Potions masters and with someone like Snape teaching that wouldn't happen.

**Professor Trelawney kept predicting Harry's death, which he found extremely annoying.**

"Anyone would find that annoying," Daphne said with a slight frown.

Andromeda raised her eyebrows and her lips pursed. "She predicts his death."

Sirius looked angry at the reminder. "Yes, almost every time he has the class."

Andromeda frowned. "She shouldn't be predicting her students' deaths."

Narcissa wasn't going to say it out loud but she agreed with her older sister.

" **You should have given it up like me, shouldn't you?" said Hermione briskly, buttering herself some toast. "Then you'd be doing something sensible like Arithmancy."**

"I wish I had taken Arithmancy instead of Divination in the first place," Harry said under his breath.

"Arithmancy seems way too difficult," Ron said seriously.

Hermione shook her head. "It's a wonderful class."

"It's school Ron," Molly said at the same time. "It isn't supposed to be easy."

" **You're eating again, I notice," said Ron, watching Hermione adding liberal amounts of jam to her toast too.**

"Oh yeah," Justin said looking thoughtful. "She decided to boycott eating in the last chapter."

"What made you change your mind?" Ernie asked.

Hermione sighed. "I'm sure the book will explain."

" **I've decided there are better ways of making a stand about elf rights," said Hermione haughtily.**

"And safer ways," Pomfrey said briskly. She didn't like the idea of a growing child not eating three good meals every day.

" **Yeah… and you were hungry," said Ron, grinning.**

A few people snickered while Hermione glared half-heartedly at Ron.

"Anyone would be hungry after skipping a meal," a seventh year Hufflepuff said.

**There was a sudden rustling noise above them, and a hundred owls came soaring through the open windows carrying the morning mail. Instinctively, Harry looked up, but there was no sign of white among the mass of brown and grey.**

"Sorry that I took a while to reply," Sirius told his godson.

"It's fine Sirius, you were far away at the time," Harry told him.

"It must be easy to spot Hedwig amongst all the other owls," Hannah said.

Harry smiled at the thought of his loyal owl. "It is."

**The owls circled the tables, looking for the people to whom their letters and packages were addressed. A large tawny owl soared down to Neville Longbottom and deposited a parcel into his lap - Neville almost always forgot to pack something.**

Remus and Sirius both shook their heads fondly.

"So much like Alice," Remus said reminiscently.

Neville smiled at the mention of his mother.

"Don't worry Neville," Sirius said as he thought back to his old friend. "Your mum's memory got better over time and I'm sure that yours will too."

"Thanks," Neville said as his cheeks tinged pink.

**On the other side of the Hall Draco Malfoy's eagle owl had landed on his shoulder, carrying what looked like his usual supply of sweets and cakes from home.**

"Which he opened gloatingly at usual," Ron said rolling his eyes.

Lucius didn't seem bothered by the comment but Narcissa was internally frowning. There was nothing wrong with being happy about receiving something from home but she didn't want her son to rub it in everyone's face. That reminded her too much of something that her husband would do and it was one of the qualities she wasn't extremely fond of.

**Trying to ignore the sinking feeling of disappointment in his stomach, Harry returned to his porridge. Was it possible that something had happened to Hedwig, and that Sirius hadn't even got his letter?**

Harry cringed at the thought, his owl was a friend and the only companion he had at Privet Drive.

"She was fine," Sirius said at the wide eyed looks from some of the younger students. "She rested for a bit before she flew back."

**His preoccupation lasted all the way across the sodden vegetable patch until they arrived in greenhouse three, but here he was distracted by Professor Sprout showing the class the ugliest plants Harry had ever seen.**

"Bubotubers," Neville said as he thought back to last year. "They aren't the most attractive plant but they're very useful."

Sprout smiled, Neville was always so good in Herbology.

**Indeed, they looked less like plants than thick, black, giant slugs, protruding vertically out of the soil.**

There were laughs at the description.

"An accurate description," Bill said.

"Those sound disgusting," a third year girl squealed.

**Each was squirming slightly and had a number of large, shiny swellings upon it, which appeared to be full of liquid.**

A few of the younger years looked green.

"I don't want to go near those," a second year said quietly to her friend.

" **Bubotubers," Professor Sprout told them briskly. "They need squeezing. You will collect the pus -"**

Lavender and Parvati grimaced as they remembered that particular lesson.

"That had been disgusting," Seamus said, sounding revolted.

" **The** _ **what**_ **?" said Seamus Finnigan, sounding revolted.**

Seamus made a face. "Oh, I was."

"I think everyone was," Dean said seriously.

Sprout shook her head, it wasn't bad but she could see why the students would be grossed out by it.

" **Pus, Finnigan, pus," said Professor Sprout, "and it's extremely valuable, so don't waste it. You will collect the pus, I say, in these bottles. Wear your dragon-hide gloves; it can do funny things to the skin when undiluted, bubotuber pus."**

Hermione glared at the book; that stuff had been painful to get all over her hands.

Harry and Ron both scowled, they too remembered Hermione receiving a letter full of undiluted bubotuber pus.

Daphne looked between the members of the trio. "What's wrong?" She asked quietly.

"In our fourth year Hermione received cursed letters, and one of them contained undiluted bubotuber pus," Harry told her.

Daphne winced in sympathy. "I think I remember that, Parkinson laughed about it in the common room."

Harry scowled. "Of course she did."

**Squeezing the bubotubers was disgusting, but oddly satisfying.**

Harry was sent several incredulous looks to which he just shrugged.

"I agree," Justin said. "And quite entertaining."

Lavender made a face like she thought they were both crazy.

**As each swelling was popped, a large amount of thick yellowish-green liquid burst forth, which smelled strongly of petrol.**

"Wouldn't those be fun to have in your garden?" Fred asked with a wicked gleam in his eyes.

"For a psychopath sure," Charlie said dryly.

The twins exchanged smirks as they pictured Harry's aunt being covered in bubotuber pus.

**They caught it in the bottles as Professor Sprout had indicated, and by the end of the lesson had collected several pints.**

" **This'll keep Madam Pomfrey happy," said Professor Sprout, stoppering the last bottle with a cork.**

Madam Pomfrey smiled; she needed a lot of that working in a school full of children. She couldn't begin to describe the things teenagers have done to rid themselves of pimples. In order to make the potion for acne she needed plenty of bubotuber pus.

"Does Madam Pomfrey not buy the pus from an apothecary?" Orla inquired.

"It's cheaper for me to acquire it and give it to her," Sprout answered.

" **An excellent remedy for the more stubborn forms of acne, bubotuber pus. Should stop students resorting to desperate measures to rid themselves of pimples."**

"Drastic measures?" A second year questioned.

"Some people try hexing pimples off," Susan told the young girl.

Eloise Midgen winced as she recalled the time she tried to curse hers off. She had to spend almost a week in the hospital wing and her face was in horrible pain.

" **Like poor Eloise Midgen," said Hannah Abbott, a Hufflepuff, in a hushed voice. "She tried to curse hers off."**

Eloise turned red at all of the looks she received.

"How does that seem like a good idea?" Vaisey whispered to his friend.

"Who knows," Urquhart said rolling his eyes. He wasn't surprised someone was dumb enough to try cursing off acne; he was only surprised that it wasn't a Hufflepuff.

" **Silly girl," said Professor Sprout, shaking her head. "But Madam Pomfrey fixed her nose back on in the end."**

People around the hall winced in sympathy.

Several of the first years eyes widened drastically.

"Her nose came off?" A first year squeaked.

"She was fine in the end," Lisa assured the young girl.

**A booming bell echoed from the castle across the wet grounds, signaling the end of the lesson, and the class separated; the Hufflepuffs climbing the stone steps for Transfiguration, and the Gryffindors heading in the other direction, down the sloping lawn toward Hagrid's small wooden cabin, which stood on the edge of the Forbidden Forest.**

**Hagrid was standing outside his hut, one hand on the collar of his enormous black boar hound, Fang.**

Harry and Ron both shook their heads, they found it amusing that the fearsome animals had the cute names and the nice ones had the fierce names.

"Lovable coward," Hermione said fondly.

Hagrid smiled, Fang was such a good dog.

**There were several open wooden crates on the ground at his feet, and Fang was whimpering and straining at his collar, apparently keen to investigate the contents more closely. As they drew nearer, an odd rattling noise reached their ears, punctuated by what sounded like minor explosions.**

Everyone who had been in magical creatures last year groaned.

"Oh no," Seamus said with a grimace.

"What's wrong?" Bill asked; his eyebrows knitted.

"Those are blast ended skrewts," Dean said with a shudder. He had received more than a dozen burns and cuts from those things, thankfully there were no scars thanks to Madam Pomfrey.

"Blast ended what?" Charlie asked as though he had heard wrong.

Fleur paled as she thought back to the third task, she never wanted to go near those creatures again.

"You'll see," Dean said. He wasn't looking forward to reading about those monsters.

" **Mornin'!" Hagrid said, grinning at Harry, Ron, and Hermione. "Be'er wait fer the Slytherins, they won' want ter miss this - Blast-Ended Skrewts!"**

"I wish I had missed them," Ron said under his breath.

"I've never heard of them," Charlie said looking confused.

"Nor have I," Remus said frowning. He didn't like where this was heading, he had a feeling the reason he hadn't heard of them was because Hagrid had breed them. He looked up at the ministry officials; he really hoped that wasn't the case. Although the name did somehow sound vaguely familiar.

" **Come again?" said Ron.**

**Hagrid pointed down into the crates.**

" **Eurgh!" squealed Lavender Brown, jumping backward. "Eurgh" just about summed up the Blast-Ended Skrewts in Harry's opinion.**

Hagrid frowned, it didn't sound like anyone liked his skrewts.

Harry nodded, that definitely summed them up and they had only gotten worse as the year progressed.

**They looked like deformed, shell-less lobsters, horribly pale and slimy-looking, with legs sticking out in very odd places and no visible heads.**

Those who hadn't seen them before made faces.

"They sound disgusting," said a repulsed looking Patricia.

Lavender was green as an image of a skrewt came to the front of her mind, those creatures made her sick. "They are disgusting."

**There were about a hundred of them in each crate, each about six inches long, crawling over one another, bumping blindly into the sides of the boxes.**

"Useless creatures," Draco said to his friends. "Horrible as well."

Crabbe, Goyle and Pansy all nodded in agreement.

**They were giving off a very powerful smell of rotting fish.**

Almost everyone looked disgusted at the thought.

Parvati wrinkled her nose. "They smelt worse than rotting fish."

Hagrid's frown deepened and he looked downcast.

**Every now and then, sparks would fly out of the end of a skrewt, and with a small phut, it would be propelled forward several inches.**

Molly frowned; she didn't like the sound of those creatures. Andromeda and Narcissa were thinking the exact same thing.

Umbridge's eyes lit up. "Those aren't ministry approved creatures, you bred them yourself." It wasn't a question.

Hermione quickly went to Hagrid's defense. "Rita Skeeter," she said the name like a curse word, "wrote an article last year mentioning that Hagrid bred them. It's either already been dealt with or the ministry didn't care enough to deal with it then, so why should it now?"

It was an obvious challenge and most of the hall was surprised that it came from Hermione.

Remus felt like he could've cursed himself, that's why it sounded so familiar. It was the article that ousted Hagrid as a giant.

"I will not be spoken to like that Miss Granger," Umbridge said looking furious. "Mr. Hagrid has broken the law and he should be punished accordingly."

"I have already spoken to Cornelius and the head of the Department for the Regulation of Control of Magical Creatures," Dumbledore spoke up. "It has been dealt with Madam Umbridge."

Umbridge turned her furious expression towards Fudge who didn't look happy to be brought into this.

"It is done Dolores," Fudge said much to Umbridge's ire.

Umbridge could feel her face turning red, the minister was supposed to side with her not Albus Dumbledore. She didn't understand why he wasn't agreeing with her and sending the oaf to Azkaban.

" **On'y jus' hatched," said Hagrid proudly, "so yeh'll be able ter raise 'em yerselves! Thought we'd make a bit of a project of it!"**

"Sounds like loads of fun," Stewart said sarcastically.

"Why would anyone want to raise them?" Orla said wrinkling her nose. "They sound foul."

Hagrid looked crestfallen; he had only been trying to make the lessons interesting.

" **And why would we want to raise them?" said a cold voice.**

Astoria's eyes blazed with recognition and annoyance. "I wonder who that could be."

Pansy glared at the third year. _'That little blood traitor has no right to speak to my Draco in that manner.'_

**The Slytherins had arrived.**

"Can't we go one chapter without reading about them?" Dean mumbled in annoyance.

Several of the teachers internally sighed; all they wanted was for all of the students to get along.

**The speaker was Draco Malfoy.**

Narcissa resisted the urge to chastise her son. She wasn't fond of Hagrid but she had still raised her son to be respectful towards adults.

"Of course it was," Seamus said rolling his eyes.

**Crabbe and Goyle were chuckling appreciatively at his words.**

"Like they even understood what you were talking about," Ron snapped.

Crabbe and Goyle glared at the red headed Gryffindor.

"We aren't stupid," Crabbe said. Several people were surprised to find that he had a soft voice, those outside of Slytherin rarely heard them speak.

Ron snorted. "Yeah, right."

"Ronald," Molly said warningly.

Ron rolled his eyes when his mother wasn't looking.

**Hagrid looked stumped at the question.**

Several of the Slytherins rolled their eyes or snickered cruelly.

" **I mean, what do they** _ **do**_ **?" asked Malfoy. "What is the** _ **point**_ **of them?"**

"They don't really have one," Ron said under his breath. He had hated those creatures; he'd been burnt and stung by those things numerous times.

"They don't really seem to have a point," a sixth year Ravenclaw said. She had never taken Care of Magical Creatures so she didn't know if there was a point to them or not but it didn't sound like there was.

"They just seem dangerous," Anthony pointed out.

"Oh, they were," Dean said rubbing his hand subconsciously.

Andromeda and Molly both frowned, they really didn't like the sound of those creatures.

**Hagrid opened his mouth, apparently thinking hard; there was a few seconds' pause, then he said roughly, "Tha's next lesson, Malfoy.**

A few people snorted.

"I doubt he even knows," Fred said honestly. He liked Hagrid a lot but he had hated working with the skrewts.

"He had just breeded them," Angelina reminded him. "Of course he wouldn't know what they do."

Hagrid blushed; he hadn't known what they would do. That was one of the drawbacks of breeding a new creature.

"Which is why people outside of certain departments aren't supposed to breed creatures," Rufus said. He disapproved greatly of Hagrid breeding a new creature, especially since he brought them around students not knowing what they did.

Harry shook his head, he loved Hagrid but he didn't agree with his fondness for dangerous creatures. The skrewts never should've been around him and the other students. He grimaced as an image of a ten foot long skrewt from the maze swam to the front of his mind.

**Yer jus' feedin' 'em today. Now, yeh'll wan' ter try 'em on a few diff'rent things - I've never had 'em before, not sure what they'll go fer - I got ant eggs an' frog livers an' a bit o' grass snake - just try 'em out with a bit of each."**

"They didn't even have mouths," Dean grumbled. It had been hell trying to feed those things.

" **First pus and now this," muttered Seamus.**

"Not one of your better days?" Fred asked; he didn't bother trying to keep a straight face.

Seamus scowled. "Definitely not."

**Nothing but deep affection for Hagrid could have made Harry, Ron, and Hermione pick up squelchy handfuls of frog liver and lower them into the crates to tempt the Blast-Ended Skrewts.**

The trio smiled at Hagrid who returned them with a smile of his own.

"Nothing could've made me do that," an overly girly seventh year Slytherin said.

**Harry couldn't suppress the suspicion that the whole thing was entirely pointless, because the skrewts didn't seem to have mouths.**

"They didn't." Several people who took Care of Magical Creatures confirmed.

"How'd they survive?" Asked a puzzled Dennis.

"I have no idea," Lee Jordan said.

" **Ouch!" yelled Dean Thomas after about ten minutes. "It got me."**

Dean scowled; his hand had been in throbbing pain.

Pomfrey was wearing a look of supreme disapproval.

Umbridge was still angry over Fudge taking Hagrid's side but her anger went away slightly as she began scribbling on her clipboard. _'Parents won't like hearing about how their children are being hurt because of a professor's recklessness.'_

**Hagrid hurried over to him, looking anxious.**

" **Its end exploded!" said Dean angrily, showing Hagrid a burn on his hand.**

Fred and George snickered causing a few girls to turn green and others to glare at them.

"Very mature you two," Angelina said sarcastically.

Molly was too busy shooting Dean worried looks to pay attention to what they had been saying.

" **Ah, yeah, that can happen when they blast off," said Hagrid, nodding.**

Andromeda frowned. "You should've told them that could happen."

"A warning would've been nice," Dean said.

" **Eurgh!" said Lavender Brown again. "Eurgh, Hagrid, what's that pointy thing on it?"**

" **Ah, some of 'em have got stings," said Hagrid enthusiastically**

"Enthusiastically?" Ernie said slowly. "That's not something to be enthusiastic about."

Charlie was trying to hide his amusement. "Only Hagrid," he said fondly.

Lucius' sneer became more pronounced. _'That man is a danger to everyone around him.'_

**(Lavender quickly withdrew her hand from the box).**

"I don't blame you," Mandy said. "I wouldn't want my hands to be near them."

"It didn't stop me from getting stung in the end," Lavender said as she rubbed her hand.

" **I reckon they're the males… The females've got sorta sucker things on their bellies… I think they might be ter suck blood."**

"So not only do they explode, but they sting and suck blood as well?" Bill said dryly. "They wouldn't exactly make good pets."

"For Hagrid they would," Charlie said; he was now finding it hard to cover up his amusement. He knew that no one got seriously injured, he would've heard if Ron, Hermione or Harry had gotten hurt. He also knew that Hagrid liked dangerous creatures; he didn't know why everyone seemed so surprised that he would like these Blast-Ended Skrewts.

" **Well, I can certainly see why we're trying to keep them alive," said Malfoy sarcastically. "Who wouldn't want pets that can burn, sting, and bite all at once?"**

"When you put it that way they seem even worse," Kenneth said. "I definitely wouldn't want one."

" **Just because they're not very pretty, it doesn't mean they're not useful," Hermione snapped. "Dragon blood's amazingly magical, but you wouldn't want a dragon for a pet, would you?"**

A few people raised their eyebrows, and looked pointedly at Hagrid causing him to blush. Others snorted; they would never forget what they learned in the first book.

"Why do I feel like I'm missing something?" Andromeda asked looking confused.

Krum also looked confused. "Did someone have a dragon?"

"When you all read the first three books you'll see," Harry told them.

**Harry and Ron grinned at Hagrid, who gave them a furtive smile from behind his bushy beard. Hagrid would have liked nothing better than a pet dragon, as Harry, Ron, and Hermione knew only too well -he had owned one for a brief period during their first year, a vicious Norwegian Ridgeback by the name of Norbert.**

"Or they'll find out now," Ron said.

"He what?" Viktor asked looking shocked.

Narcissa and Lucius both looked briefly shocked before their faces slipped into expressionless masks. The others who hadn't read the first three books also looked shocked.

Andromeda was pale, her face contrasted greatly with her dark hair. "He had a dragon?"

"Yeah," Tonks told her mother. "Like Harry said it'll be in the earlier books."

Andromeda was too shocked to say anything else on the subject.

**Hagrid simply loved monstrous creatures, the more lethal, the better.**

All over the hall people shook their heads.

"Apparently having a giant three headed dog wasn't enough," Ron muttered. "He needed an exploding pet as well."

" **Well, at least the skrewts are small," said Ron as they made their way back up to the castle for lunch an hour later.**

Everyone who had seen the fully grown skrewts snorted.

"They are now," Daphne said. "They got huge."

Harry, Fleur and Viktor unconsciously nodded.

" **They are** _ **now**_ **," said Hermione in an exasperated voice, "but once Hagrid's found out what they eat, I expect they'll be six feet long."**

"They got to be longer than that," Harry said.

"In the maze there was one that had to be at least ten feet," Fleur said in remembrance.

" **Well, that won't matter if they turn out to cure seasickness or something, will it?" said Ron, grinning slyly at her.**

"That's doubtful," Remus told him.

"Hermione probably only said that to shut Malfoy up," Tonks said.

" **You know perfectly well I only said that to shut Malfoy up," said Hermione. "As a matter of fact I think he's right.**

A few people looked surprised that she was agreeing with Draco, the aforementioned included.

"I can admit when someone is right no matter how I feel about the person," Hermione said stubbornly to all the looks.

"Just not to their face," Ron said slyly.

"Oh, hush," Hermione said tingeing pink.

**The best thing to do would be to stamp on the lot of them before they start attacking us all."**

"They'd probably burn you before you got the chance," Dean said grumpily.

Hagrid sighed; maybe he should try a safer creature in his future lessons.

**They sat down at the Gryffindor table and helped themselves to lamb chops and potatoes. Hermione began to eat so fast that Harry and Ron stared at her.**

Ginny raised an eyebrow. "Channeling Ron?"

Hermione who was still pink turned red. "I was in a hurry."

" **Er - is this the new stand on elf rights?" said Ron. "You're going to make yourself puke instead?"**

"That would just upset the house elves," Tracey said knowingly.

Hermione frowned. "Why would it do that?"

"If you got sick every time you ate their food they would think it was their fault," Tracey explained.

Hermione couldn't think of anything to say.

" **No," said Hermione, with as much dignity as she could muster with her mouth bulging with sprouts.**

"Hermione talking with her mouth full?" Fred asked genuinely surprised.

"This must be important," George said.

The twins looked at each other. "The library."

" **I just want to get to the library."**

A few people looked at Hermione like she had three heads.

"It was the first day of school," Owen said in disbelief. "You can't have that much homework already?"

"Hermione is always going into the library," Seamus said. "It's not actually weird, even for it being the first day."

" _ **What**_ **?" said Ron in disbelief. "Hermione - it's the first day back! We haven't even got homework yet!"**

"It's Hermione," Fred said as though talking to a five year old.

"She doesn't need a reason to go to the library," George finished.

**Hermione shrugged and continued to shovel down her food as though she had not eaten for days.**

"Maybe she is channeling Ron," Fred said musingly.

Ron's ears turned red.

**Then she leapt to her feet, said, "See you at dinner!" and departed at high speed.**

**When the bell rang to signal the start of afternoon lessons, Harry and Ron set off for North Tower where, at the top of a tightly spiraling staircase, a silver stepladder led to a circular trapdoor in the ceiling, and the room where Professor Trelawney lived.**

"We go from reading about Malfoy to Trelawney," Dean groaned.

Draco glared at Dean while Trelawney looked highly affronted.

**The familiar sweet perfume spreading from the fire met their nostrils as they emerged at the top of the stepladder.**

Almost everyone who was in Divination or had at one point taken the class made a face. It was hard to breath in that classroom with all of the perfume.

**As ever, the curtains were all closed;**

"She really should open them," Natalie said. "It always gets hot and stuffy in there."

**the circular room was bathed in a dim reddish light cast by the many lamps, which were all draped with scarves and shawls.**

"Gaudy," Hermione said under her breath. She wasn't normally one to speak badly of adults but she didn't like Trelawney. The woman spent all of her time telling one of her best friends that he was going to die. She loved making her students worry and she got on Hermione's nerves. It was hard to even concentrate in that room with the heat and the smoke swirling around everywhere.

**Harry and Ron walked through the mass of occupied chintz chairs and poufs that cluttered the room, and sat down at the same small circular table.**

" **Good day," said the misty voice of Professor Trelawney right behind Harry, making him jump.**

"You-Know-Who doesn't scare him but Trelawney does," Fred said amused.

"I never said that Voldemort doesn't scare me," Harry said indignantly.

Several people raised their eyebrows, from what they've read he didn't seem too afraid of the man everyone else was terrified of.

**A very thin woman with enormous glasses that made her eyes appear far too large for her face,**

All of the fifth year Gryffindor boys snickered causing Lavender and Parvati to scowl.

Trelawney looked indignantly at the book and pulled her light pink shawl tightly around her shoulders.

**Professor Trelawney was peering down at Harry with the tragic expression she always wore whenever she saw him.**

Harry rolled his eyes. "That gets so bloody annoying," he muttered.

Daphne squeezed his hand, she would be annoyed too if someone was always predicting her death.

**The usual large amount of beads, chains, and bangles glittered upon her person in the firelight.**

" **You are preoccupied, my dear," she said mournfully to Harry. "My inner eye sees past your brave face to the troubled soul within. And I regret to say that your worries are not baseless.**

McGonagall pursed her lips, she didn't like the way she always predicted Harry's death. He had enough to deal with without her constant pestering.

**I see difficult times ahead for you, alas… most difficult…**

"Isn't it always," Harry said in a resigned voice.

The tone Harry used caused Sirius heart to clench. Someone so young shouldn't be so careless and accepting of everything Harry had been through.

**I fear the thing you dread will indeed come to pass… and perhaps sooner than you think…"**

_'She was right for once.'_ Harry though, he had been worried about Voldemort coming back. _'But she always said that.'_

Ron grimaced, their professor was right but he still thought she was a fraud.

Hermione rolled her eyes.

**Her voice dropped almost to a whisper.**

**Ron rolled his eyes at Harry, who looked stonily back.**

"Don't you care?" Lavender asked solemnly.

"I don't believe in Divination," Harry said with a shrug. "She's predicted my death every lesson since third year and I haven't died yet."

**Professor Trelawney swept past them and seated herself in a large winged armchair before the fire, facing the class. Lavender Brown and Parvati Patil, who deeply admired Professor Trelawney, were sitting on poufs very close to her.**

Hermione once more rolled her eyes. She didn't know what it was but it annoyed her to see those two practically worship the ground Trelawney walked on.

" **My dears, it is time for us to consider the stars," she said.**

"Mars is bright tonight," Fred said in a stage whisper.

There were snickers as people remembered the centaurs' words from the first book.

Trelawney frowned, that was nothing to joke about.

" **The movements of the planets and the mysterious portents they reveal only to those who understand the steps of the celestial dance. Human destiny may be deciphered by the planetary rays, which intermingle…"**

**But Harry's thoughts had drifted.**

Sirius looked at Harry with understanding. "I don't blame you, I hated Divination and my professor never predicted my death."

"You took Divination?" Harry asked interested, he had never asked Sirius what classes he had taken in school.

"Yeah," Sirius said smiling at the memories of trouble he and James caused in that class. "As well as muggle studies."

"You took muggle studies?" Ron asked incredulously. He could recall Mrs. Blacks screams and he didn't think she seemed the type to let her son take a class about muggles.

Sirius grinned. "I took it to piss my dear mum off."

Andromeda shook her head, her aunt and uncle had been furious when Sirius signed up for Muggle Studies.

**The perfumed fire always made him feel sleepy and dull-witted, and Professor Trelawney's rambling talks on fortune-telling never held him exactly spellbound**

Lavender and Parvati looked like they couldn't believe he wouldn't find the class exciting.

Meanwhile Hermione was looking at them incredulously. It was obvious from the last book that Harry didn't like that class; she knew the two girls weren't dumb so she didn't know how they couldn't see he hated Divination.

**\- though he couldn't help thinking about what she had just said to him. '** _**I fear the thing you dread will indeed come to pass** _ **…'**

**But Hermione was right, Harry thought irritably, Professor Trelawney really was an old fraud.**

Trelawney sent Hermione a cold look which she ignored.

"She is not," Lavender said defensively.

Hermione didn't bother to respond.

**He wasn't dreading anything at the moment at all… well, unless you counted his fears that Sirius had been caught…**

_'Actually ever since my scar started burning I did fear that Voldemort was coming back.'_ Harry thought. _'But I didn't think about that too much.'_

Ron leaned over to whisper to Harry. "Weren't you thinking about You-Know-Who coming back?"

Harry nodded. "Yeah, just not too much."

**but what did Professor Trelawney know? He had long since come to the conclusion that her brand of fortune-telling was really no more than lucky guesswork and a spooky manner.**

**Except, of course, for that time at the end of last term, when she had made the prediction about Voldemort rising again…**

Lavender and Parvati both nodded fiercely.

**and Dumbledore himself had said that he thought that trance had been genuine, when Harry had described it to him.**

" _ **Harry**_ **!" Ron muttered.**

" **What?"**

**Harry looked around; the whole class was staring at him. He sat up straight; he had been almost dozing off, lost in the heat and his thoughts.**

"Your thoughts are more important that anything she has to say," Fred said waving a hand dismissively.

"Fred," Molly practically hissed.

Fred looked perfectly innocent causing George to snort into his pumpkin juice and Trelawney to give him an affronted look.

" **I was saying, my dear, that you were clearly born under the baleful influence of Saturn," said Professor Trelawney, a faint note of resentment in her voice at the fact that he had obviously not been hanging on her words.**

Moody's magical eye spun so it was looking out the side of his head at Trelawney. He had always thought the subject was a big waste of time; Trelawney wasn't doing much to change his opinion.

Theo was staring blankly at the book; he didn't take Divination because he didn't want to deal with Trelawney. Yet, here he was spending time listening to her talk anyways.

" **Born under - what, sorry?" said Harry.**

" **Saturn, dear, the planet Saturn!" said Professor Trelawney, sounding definitely irritated that he wasn't riveted by this news.**

Harry rolled his eyes while Ron snorted.

"Somehow I don't think he cares," Ron said amusedly.

" **I was saying that Saturn was surely in a position of power in the heavens at the moment of your birth… Your dark hair… your mean stature… tragic losses so young in life… I think I am right in saying, my dear, that you were born in midwinter?"**

"Actually he was born in July," Hermione said simply.

Snorts echoed around the hall, she was way off.

Dumbledore's eyes landed on Trelawney and they lost their twinkle. That wasn't describing Harry, it sounded like it was describing Tom Riddle. Dark hair, like Harry Tom had black hair. Mean stature, even as a young boy Tom Riddle looked cold when he wasn't pretending and he was extremely cruel. His mother died giving birth to him; that is definitely a tragic loss young in life. And Tom was born on New Year's Eve which is midwinter. _'Could Sybill have been somehow sensing some part of Tom that was inside of Harry?'_ He frowned.

" **No," said Harry, "I was born in July."**

**Ron hastily turned his laugh into a hacking cough.**

Ron didn't bother hiding his snickers; neither did a large majority of the hall.

**Half an hour later, each of them had been given a complicated circular chart, and was attempting to fill in the position of the planets at their moment of birth. It was dull work, requiring much consultation of timetables and calculation of angles.**

"It was such a waste of time," Dean grumbled. He didn't see the point in those charts.

" **I've got two Neptune's here," said Harry after a while, frowning down at his piece of parchment, "that can't be right, can it?"**

"Not in this universe," Lee said, his lips twitching.

"No," Zacharias sneered.

Everyone ignored the Hufflepuff but some people snorted at Lee's comment.

" **Aaaaah," said Ron, imitating Professor Trelawney's mystical whisper, "when two Neptune's appear in the sky, it is a sure sign that a midget in glasses is being born, Harry…"**

The hall burst into laughter including Harry.

"Nice one Ron," Fred praised.

"That's my brother," George said proudly.

Ron grinned at the praise.

**Seamus and Dean, who were working nearby, sniggered loudly,**

Dean and Seamus high fived while Lavender and Parvati scowled at them.

**though not loudly enough to mask the excited squeals from Lavender Brown - "Oh Professor, look! I think I've got an unaspected planet! Oooh, which one's that, Professor?"**

Hermione resisted the urge to roll her eyes.

"At least someone likes her class," Morag whispered to her friends.

" **It is Uranus, my dear," said Professor Trelawney, peering down at the chart.**

" **Can I have a look at Uranus too, Lavender?" said Ron.**

A large majority of the boys in the hall laughed while most of the girls shot them disgusted looks.

"Ronald!" Molly yelled, her face turning red. "That's disrespectful."

"Mr. Weasley!" McGonagall and Sprout yelled.

Lavender was glaring at Ron, she had forgotten about that until now.

**Most unfortunately, Professor Trelawney heard him, and it was this, perhaps, that made her give them so much homework at the end of the class.**

Those who had been in that class besides Parvati and Lavender; groaned.

"Thanks for that," Dean said sarcastically.

" **A detailed analysis of the way the planetary movements in the coming month will affect you, with reference to your personal chart," she snapped, sounding much more like Professor McGonagall than her usual airy-fairy self.**

McGonagall raised one of her eyebrows; she hoped she wasn't like Trelawney.

Hermione scowled, Harry compared her favorite teacher to her least favorite. She looked up at Umbridge, well the person who used to be her least favorite.

**"I want it ready to hand in next Monday, and no excuses!"**

_'That does sound more like McGonagall.'_ Many of the students thought, but none of them wanted to say that out loud.

" **Miserable old bat," said Ron bitterly as they joined the crowds descending the staircases back to the Great Hall and dinner.**

Molly went to reprimand her son but Arthur shook his head.

"This is in the past Molly," Arthur told her quietly. "Now isn't the time to yell at him for things he did a year ago."

**"That'll take all weekend, that will…"**

"Just make it up," Fred shrugged.

The adults didn't look happy with Fred's suggestion.

" **Lots of homework?" said Hermione brightly, catching up with them. "Professor Vector didn't give** _ **us**_ **any at all!"**

" **Well, bully for Professor Vector," said Ron moodily.**

Ron flushed as Vector looked at him.

"Really?" Hannah asked surprised. "I thought her class normally got a lot of homework."

"It usually does," Hermione said.

**They reached the entrance hall, which was packed with people queuing for dinner. They had just joined the end of the line, when a loud voice rang out behind them.**

"Please don't let it be who I think it is," Sirius said with a look towards his second cousin.

"I wouldn't hold your breath," Tonks told him.

" **Weasley! Hey, Weasley!"**

**Harry, Ron, and Hermione turned. Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle were standing there, each looking thoroughly pleased about something.**

"If Malfoy is happy about something it means that it won't be good for you," Dean said knowingly.

"Do you seriously have nothing better to do than to try making Harry miserable?" Astoria asked with an annoyed expression.

Draco stared stonily at the third year.

"I didn't think so," Astoria said rolling her blue eyes.

" **What?" said Ron shortly.**

" **Your dad's in the paper, Weasley!" said Malfoy, brandishing a copy of the** _ **Daily Prophet**_ **and speaking very loudly, so that everyone in the packed entrance hall could hear. "Listen to this!"**

_**FURTHER MISTAKES AT THE MINISTRY OF MAGIC** _

Arthur's ears turned red as he recalled the article.

All of the Weasley children glared at Draco.

_**It seems as though the Ministry of Magic's troubles are not yet at an end, writes Rita Skeeter, Special Correspondent.** _

"Rita," Eloise moaned. "That woman is horrible."

No one noticed Hermione smirk smugly.

_**Recently under fire for its poor crowd control at the Quidditch World Cup, and still unable to account for the disappearance of one of its witches, the Ministry was plunged into fresh embarrassment yesterday by the antics of Arnold Weasley, of the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office."** _

Lucius smirked; he had enjoyed reading that article. It was pathetic that his name wasn't even correct in it, but that's what made it all the more amusing.

 **Malfoy looked up.** " **Imagine them not even getting his name right, Weasley. It's almost as though he's a complete nonentity, isn't it?" he crowed.**

Harry, Hermione and several others joined the Weasley's in glaring at Draco.

Narcissa internally frowned; she didn't raise her son to behave in the manner.

Molly grabbed her husband's hand in a comforting gesture.

"She probably got it wrong on purpose," Sirius growled. "She likes to cause problems."

**Everyone in the entrance hall was listening now.**

"Of course they were," Ron spat. "That's exactly what he wanted to happen."

Lucius was glad that his son got one up on the Weasley's.

**Malfoy straightened the paper with a flourish and read on:**

_**Arnold Weasley, who was charged with possession of a flying car two years ago, was yesterday involved in a tussle with several Muggle law-keepers ("policemen") over a number of highly aggressive dustbins. Mr. Weasley appears to have rushed to the aid of "Mad-Eye" Moody, the aged ex-Auror who retired from the Ministry when no longer able to tell the difference between a handshake and attempted murder.** _

Moody growled before barking, "CONSTANT VIGILANCE!"

"He's not that paranoid," Tonks said defensively.

 _'Yes, he is.'_ Umbridge thought with a quick look towards the grizzled ex-auror.

_**Unsurprisingly, Mr. Weasley found, upon arrival at Mr. Moody's heavily guarded house, that Mr. Moody had once again raised a false alarm. Mr. Weasley was forced to modify several memories before he could escape from the policemen, but refused to answer Daily Prophet questions about why he had involved the Ministry in such an undignified and potentially embarrassing scene.** _

"Oh I don't know," Charlie ground out. "Maybe because it's his job."

Arthur sighed; he would've gone to help Moody even if it wasn't his job.

" **And there's a picture, Weasley!" said Malfoy, flipping the paper over and holding it up. "A picture of your parents outside their house - if you can call it a house!**

The glared increased and Draco was beginning to feel uncomfortable.

Narcissa sighed internally; she would definitely be having a talk with her son before these books were over.

**Your mother could do with losing a bit of weight, couldn't she?"**

Now almost everyone was glaring at him, insulting someone's mother was extremely low.

Arthur wrapped an arm around his wife. "You're beautiful Molly."

Bill and Charlie wanted to curse the arrogant prick but they knew better than to hex a minor.

"That's low Malfoy," Dean snarled.

Ron's hands were balled into fists and his face was bright red, Hermione unconsciously put her hand on his arm.

Harry wanted to hex Draco but then he remembered that this was a year ago. Daphne squeezed his hand to show her support which he was thankful for.

**Ron was shaking with fury. Everyone was staring at him.**

" **Get stuffed, Malfoy," said Harry.**

"Please do," Fred said stonily. He didn't like anyone insulting his family especially not Draco Malfoy.

" **C'mon, Ron…"**

" **Oh yeah, you were staying with them this summer, weren't you, Potter?" sneered Malfoy. "So tell me, is his mother really that porky, or is it just the picture?"**

Harry was glaring so fiercely at Draco that the Slytherin thought he'd be dead if looks could kill.

" **You know** _ **your**_ **mother, Malfoy?" said Harry - both he and Hermione had grabbed the back of Ron's robes to stop him from launching himself at Malfoy -**

"Smart," Remus said knowingly. He had to stop both James and Sirius from attacking people before.

"Don't let him do anything stupid," Molly said worriedly. She didn't want her son to get into trouble just because a boy insulted her; it wasn't worth getting into a fight.

" **that expression she's got, like she's got dung under her nose? Has she always looked like that, or was it just because you were with her?"**

"Harry!" Several people exclaimed in surprise. That wasn't like Harry to say something like that.

Harry looked at Narcissa whose expression was blank. "I'm sorry Mrs. Malfoy; I shouldn't have stooped to his level. There was no need for me to bring you into it; I just got angry when he kept talking about Mrs. Weasley. I never knew my mother and Mrs. Weasley is the closest thing I have to one." This brought tears to Molly's eyes. "When I heard him insult her I saw red, but that shouldn't excuse it."

Harry didn't know if he was seeing things but he could've sworn he saw Narcissa's expression soften for a few seconds. "Apology accepted Mr. Potter."

Lucius didn't look happy about the exchange between his wife and Harry, while Draco looked slightly confused by it before his look turned to one of indifference.

"Thank you Harry," Molly said kindly. She loved the boy like he was her eighth child; it filled her with joy to know he felt the same.

Harry smiled at the woman. "It's the truth."

Sirius smiled even though his heart ached slightly to watch. He had known Molly cared deeply for Harry; she had said many times that Harry was as loved by her as her own sons. But seeing Harry defend Molly like he would Lily if she were alive was different. A part of him wanted to scream for someone being a mother figure to Harry. Another part of him wanted to jump with joy that Harry had someone to care for him, especially when he himself had been locked away in Azkaban. He knew that James and Lily would be happy he found an adult to trust, especially after the way his so called relatives had treated him growing up. In the end he was just thankful that Harry was able to trust anyone after his horrible childhood.

 **Malfoy's pale face went slightly pink.** " **Don't you dare insult my mother, Potter."**

"Don't dish it out if you can't take it," Astoria said in an emotionless voice.

Draco tinged pink; he shouldn't have been surprised when Harry brought up his mother.

" **Keep your fat mouth shut, then," said Harry, turning away.**

"If only," Dean said wistfully.

"Hogwarts would be a much better place," Seamus said.

**BANG!**

**Several people screamed - Harry felt something white-hot graze the side of his face -**

Those who hadn't known looked either shocked or angry. Almost all of the adults turned furious expressions to the young Malfoy heir.

Snape had heard about this incident, after it happened the fake Moody had come to his office dragging his godson by the ear. He hadn't been pleased, even the Marauders didn't curse him when his back was turned even though a lot of the time it was four on one.

Narcissa was inwardly furious; she was a Black which meant her son was part Black. If there was one thing Black's weren't it was cowards, she would never curse someone when their back was turned.

Moody's magical eye narrowed onto Draco; if there was one thing he hated almost as much as dark wizards it was cowards.

Daphne's hand tightened around Harry's.

"You cursed him when his back was turned!" Sirius yelled as fury washed through him. There was nothing more cowardly than cursing someone when their back was turned.

"Coward!" Dozens of people yelled.

"Leave it to a Malfoy to curse someone when their back was turned," Dean spat.

Molly looked at Harry worriedly. "Were you alright?" She asked almost frantically.

"I was fine," Harry assured her.

Pomfrey frowned; she had never liked Harry's definition of fine.

"Silence!" Dumbledore said loudly into the yelling hall. "That is enough."

The hall soon went silent and Ted cleared his throat before he continued to read.

**he plunged his hand into his robes for his wand, but before he'd even touched it, he heard a second loud BANG, and a roar that echoed through the entrance hall.**

Ron smirked; he knew what was coming next.

" **OH NO YOU DON'T, LADDIE!"**

Moody's magical eye left Draco to land on the book, he had been wondering when the impostor would show up.

 **Harry spun around. Professor Moody was limping down the marble staircase. His wand was out and it was pointing right at a pure white ferret,** **which was shivering on the stone-flagged floor, exactly where Malfoy had been standing.**

The hall burst into laughter, those that had seen the incident were laughing the loudest.

Neither Narcissa nor Lucius looked happy. They had both known it happened for Draco had written them about it, they had both been furious. Lucius became even more furious when he later found out from Severus that Moody had really been Barty Crouch Jr.

"He turned Malfoy into a ferret?" Tonks asked as her hair turned bright pink.

"It was hilarious!" Ron yelled as he clutched his stomach. He still found that to be one of the funniest things he had ever seen.

Molly and Andromeda both looked disapproving. He may be a brat but that doesn't mean he should be transfigured into a ferret. Most of the other adults shared their thoughts.

Moody grunted; he wouldn't have turned a student into a ferret. He would've taught the boy a lesson but not by transfiguring him.

Draco turned pinker than Harry had ever seen him as the hall continued to laugh. Draco didn't know that Moody had really been Barty Crouch Jr so he sent Moody a glare when he thought the man wasn't looking.

"That's quite enough," Dumbledore said once more and the laughter died down.

**There was a terrified silence in the entrance hall.**

Colin who had witnessed it spoke up. "Everyone was shocked; we didn't think a teacher would do that to a student."

"A teacher shouldn't," McGonagall sound sounding extremely disapproving.

**Nobody but Moody was moving a muscle. Moody turned to look at Harry — at least, his normal eye was looking at Harry; the other one was pointing into the back of his head.**

A few girls shivered.

Parvati made a face, "So creepy."

" **Did he get you?" Moody growled. His voice was low and gravelly.**

" **No," said Harry, "missed."**

"I can't believe he missed," Fred said seriously.

"Harry's back was turned," George said.

Fred added, "He should've been an easy target."

Harry snorted. "Thanks guys."

Draco glowered at the twins; he had been turned into a ferret for no reason since he didn't even hit his target.

" **LEAVE IT!" Moody shouted.**

" **Leave - what?" Harry said, bewildered.**

" **Not you - him!" Moody growled, jerking his thumb over his shoulder at Crabbe, who had just frozen, about to pick up the white ferret.**

Malfoy glared at Crabbe. _'Why would he try to pick me up?'_

**It seemed that Moody's rolling eye was magical and could see out of the back of his head.**

"At least it's useful," Dean said. He wouldn't want to have a creepy eye like Moody but it was pretty cool.

**Moody started to limp toward Crabbe, Goyle, and the ferret, which gave a terrified squeak and took off, streaking toward the dungeons.**

"I don't blame him," Stephen said. "I wouldn't want to go near the man who turned me into a ferret."

" **I don't think so!" roared Moody, pointing his wand at the ferret again - it flew ten feet into the air, fell with a smack to the floor, and then bounced upward once more.**

The students snickered as Draco glared at the table in front of him.

Pomfrey was frowning; he could've been seriously hurt.

Narcissa kept a blank face but inside she was angry. _'Crouch is lucky that he received the kiss.'_ No one messed with her son and got away with it.

" **I don't like people who attack when their opponent's back's turned," growled Moody as the ferret bounced higher and higher, squealing in pain. "Stinking, cowardly, scummy thing to do…"**

"Which is why it's something death eaters do," Sirius said carelessly.

Lucius looked at Sirius with a stony expression, but there was loathing burning in his eyes.

**The ferret flew through the air, its legs and tail flailing helplessly. "Never - do - that - again -" said Moody, speaking each word as the ferret hit the stone floor and bounced upward again.**

Ron smiled as the memory played in his mind, he could still recall it vividly.

"I wish I could've seen it," Wayne said.

" **Professor Moody!" said a shocked voice.**

**Professor McGonagall was coming down the marble staircase with her arms full of books.**

"A galleon says she drops them," Fred whispered to George.

"No bet," George said shaking his head. "It's obvious she will; it's McGonagall after all."

" **Hello, Professor McGonagall," said Moody calmly, bouncing the ferret still higher.**

" **What - what are you doing?" said Professor McGonagall, her eyes following the bouncing ferret's progress through the air.**

Ron smirked. "Having fun."

" **Teaching," said Moody.**

" **Teach - Moody,** _ **is that a student**_ **?" shrieked Professor McGonagall, the books spilling out of her arms.**

Fred and George exchanged smirks.

"I was shocked," McGonagall said stiffly.

" **Yep," said Moody.**

"Technically, it's a ferret," the real Moody said as he pulled out his flask.

Ron snorted; he wondered if the real Moody would've turned Draco into a ferret.

" **No!" cried Professor McGonagall, running down the stairs and pulling out her wand; a moment later, with a loud snapping noise, Draco Malfoy had reappeared, lying in a heap on the floor with his sleek blond hair all over his now brilliantly pink face. He got to his feet, wincing.**

"She should've left him as a ferret," Kevin said under his breath.

Narcissa momentarily frowned as she looked at her red faced son.

" **Moody, we never use Transfiguration as a punishment!" said Professor McGonagall weakly. "Surely Professor Dumbledore told you that?"**

Ron shrugged. "He had it coming."

Molly opened her mouth and once more Arthur shook his head.

 _'It's better than what some teachers do.'_ Harry thought with a side glance at Umbridge.

" **He might've mentioned it, yeah," said Moody, scratching his chin unconcernedly,**

The students broke into snickers.

"Best. Teacher. Ever," Lee said enunciating each word.

Moody grunted, he hated how everyone thought that the impostor was the real him. It made him furious to read about a death eater pretending to be him, but he had been through worse so he would grit his teeth and say nothing until it was revealed.

**"but I thought a good sharp shock -"**

" **We give detentions, Moody!**

Harry looked at Umbridge. _'Or in Umbridge's case, torture sessions.'_

Hermione and Ron both noticed where their best friend was looking and they glared at her.

**Or speak to the offender's Head of House!"**

" **I'll do that, then," said Moody, staring at Malfoy with great dislike.**

 _'He hated him because his father lied and bribed his way out of Azkaban.'_ Harry thought.

**Malfoy, whose pale eyes were still watering with pain and humiliation, looked malevolently up at Moody and muttered something in which the words "my father" were distinguishable.**

"My father will hear about this," Ron said mockingly.

Draco glared at Ron; he wanted to wipe the smug look off the red heads face.

"Of course," Dean said rolling his eyes. "He can't fight his own battles."

Narcissa closed her eyes for a few seconds; she didn't want Lucius to turn her son into a miniature clone of him.

" **Oh yeah?" said Moody quietly, limping forward a few steps, the dull** _ **clunk**_ **of his wooden leg echoing around the hall. "Well, I know your father of old, boy… You tell him Moody's keeping a close eye on his son… you tell him that from me…**

Moody's magical eye landed on Lucius.

**Now, your Head of House'll be Snape, will it?"**

"Like Snape will do anything," Summers said quietly to Summerby.

" **Yes," said Malfoy resentfully.**

" **Another old friend," growled Moody. "I've been looking forward to a chat with old Snape… Come on, you…"**

Snape scowled, he didn't like Crouch Jr or Moody.

**And he seized Malfoy's upper arm and marched him off toward the dungeons.**

Snape gritted his teeth; he had been dragging him by the ear when he entered the dungeons. And that had not been a pleasant conversation at all.

"That would've been an interesting conversation to hear," Ron said with a smirk.

**Professor McGonagall stared anxiously after them for a few moments, then waved her wand at her fallen books, causing them to soar up into the air and back into her arms.**

" **Don't talk to me," Ron said quietly to Harry and Hermione as they sat down at the Gryffindor table a few minutes later, surrounded by excited talk on all sides about what had just happened.**

"Why not?" Dean asked frowning.

" **Why not?" said Hermione in surprise.**

" **Because I want to fix that in my memory forever," said Ron, his eyes closed and an uplifted expression on his face. "Draco Malfoy, the amazing bouncing ferret."**

Almost all of the students broke into laughter.

Fred and George each high fived their younger brother.

"Nice one Ron!" Fred yelled.

"So that's why you called him ferret before?" Sirius asked, he could remember Ron calling Draco, ferret.

"Yeah," said a grinning Ron.

**Harry and Hermione both laughed, and Hermione began doling beef casserole onto each of their plates.**

"You're like their mother," Justin said amused.

Hermione shrugged. "Someone needs to make sure they eat something other than dessert."

"We're used to it," Harry said when a few people looked at him. "It doesn't bother us."

" **He could have really hurt Malfoy, though," she said. "It was good, really, that Professor McGonagall stopped it -"**

" **Hermione!" said Ron furiously, his eyes snapping open again, "you're ruining the best moment of my life!"**

The hall snickered again as Draco's glare towards Ron intensified.

**Hermione made an impatient noise and began to eat at top speed again.**

" **Don't tell me you're going back to the library this evening?" said Harry, watching her.**

" **Got to," said Hermione thickly. "Loads to do."**

Fred and George looked like they'd been slapped.

"So disappointing," Fred said solemnly.

Hermione rolled her eyed. "Honestly, there's nothing wrong with going to the library."

"Yes there is," Fred said looking at her like she had three heads.

"Especially on the first day," George said.

" **But you told us Professor Vector -"**

" **It's not schoolwork," she said.**

Eyebrows were raised, and some people sent her questioning looks but she didn't say anything.

**Within five minutes, she had cleared her plate and departed. No sooner had she gone than her seat was taken by Fred Weasley.**

" **Moody!" he said. "How cool is he?"**

Moody growled, every time he read about the impostor he got more annoyed.

" **Beyond cool," said George, sitting down opposite Fred.**

" **Supercool," said the twins' best friend, Lee Jordan, sliding into the seat beside George.**

"He must've been good for you three to like him," Charlie said.

"He was," Fred said. He knew now from Harry that it had really been a death eater but he had still been a good teacher.

" **We had him this afternoon," he told Harry and Ron.**

" **What was it like?" said Harry eagerly.**

**Fred, George, and Lee exchanged looks full of meaning.**

" **Never had a lesson like it," said Fred.**

Harry covered up a snort as he remembered having the Imperius Curse placed on him.

" **He** _ **knows**_ **, man," said Lee.**

" **Knows what?" said Ron, leaning forward.**

" **Knows what it's like to be out there doing it," said George impressively.**

"He should after decades of being an auror," Tonks said. She glanced at her mentor, he looked annoyed. She couldn't blame him, if someone had locked her in her own trunk and impersonated her for almost a year she'd be angry and annoyed too.

" **Doing what?" said Harry.**

" **Fighting the Dark Arts," said Fred.**

" **He's seen it all," said George.**

"' **Mazing," said Lee.**

**Ron dived into his bag for his schedule.**

" **We haven't got him till Thursday!" he said in a disappointed voice.**

"Ron looking forward to a class?" Charlie said surprised.

"It's been known to happen," Ron said indignantly.

Charlie raised one of his red eyebrows but said nothing.

Ted closed the book. "That's the end of the chapter."

Dumbledore summoned the book as he stood up. "That is the last chapter we'll read for the evening. Now, for those who didn't join the reading until this book, you will all begin reading the first three books tomorrow morning. If you read quickly it shouldn't be too difficult to finish all three of them in two days. For those who have read the first three books, you will spend the next two days either at the castle or in the case of those in third year and above in Hogsmeade. If you don't want to go to the village you are of course welcome to stay here." He looked around the hall before he continued. "Tomorrow morning a few more people will join our newcomers in reading the first three books; those who come tomorrow will also need to read the first thirteen chapters of the book we are currently reading. You are all dismissed."

The hall became loud as everyone began talking to their friends.

"Don't forget that we're going shopping tomorrow," Hermione said looking pointedly at Harry.

Harry groaned. "Hermione, we really don't have too."

Hermione looked at Daphne for support.

Daphne looked at Harry and smiled the smile he normally found beautiful made his stomach drop. He knew that she was going to agree with Hermione.

"It'll be fine Harry," Daphne told him.

"Easy for you to say," Harry told her. "Girls like shopping."

"Not all girls do," Hermione said seriously before turning to Ron. "And don't think I've forgotten that you're coming along as well."

Ron looked annoyed but nodded his head stiffly.

 _'At least I won't be alone.'_ Harry thought as stood up still holding Daphne's hand. "I'll walk you to your common room," he told her.

Daphne smiled as her boyfriend led her out of the crowded Great Hall.


	15. Interlude 1

The following morning, Harry woke up feeling well rested. He pulled open the curtains that hung around his four poster bed and looked out of the large window revealing a half up sun. He looked at the clock on his night stand and it said half past six. That surprised him since he was normally tired when he woke up at this hour. He stretched his arms causing his back to pop then he put on his glasses. He got out of his bed and pulled open the trunk at the foot of his bed, he grabbed a pair of jeans and a white t-shirt before walking into the bathroom.

After a quick shower he walked out of the bathroom, he saw that everyone else was awake now. Neville was rummaging through his trunk still clad in his red plaid pajamas. Ron was pulling on a pair of socks while Dean walked into the bathroom after saying a quick greeting to Harry. Seamus looked to be half asleep as he groggily blinked, he was still under the covers but he was sitting up against the backboard of his bed.

Harry pulled open a drawer and grabbed his new money pouch before turning to Ron. "I'm going to go see if Hermione's down in the common room, I'll meet you down there."

Ron nodded absentmindedly. "Okay." He was now rummaging through his messy trunk.

Harry walked down the staircase and into the common room. There were a few students scattered around the room talking to their friends. He ignored a group of third years who giggled as they looked at him, as he scanned the room for his best friend. He spotted Hermione sitting in their usual spots in front of the fireplace.

"Good morning Harry," Hermione said as he sat down opposite her.

"Morning Hermione," Harry said as he watched her close the book she had been reading. "What are you reading?"

"Hogwarts a History," Hermione said.

Harry shook his head fondly. "I don't know why I even bothered to ask."

"Why you even bothered to ask what?" Ron asked as he plopped down next to Harry.

"I asked what Hermione was reading," Harry said. "It turns out she's reading Hogwarts a History."

"Blimey Hermione," Ron said slightly exasperated. "You've read that book like fifty times, don't you have it memorized by now?"

Hermione rolled her eyes but her lips were twitching. "Not quite." She stood up. "After I put my book away we should head down to the Great Hall, we should eat before going into Hogsmeade."

Ron groaned as soon as Hermione walked away. "Shopping, I don't know how I forgot."

"At least you aren't the one who's going to be forced into outfit after outfit," Harry said with a grimace. "I think I'd rather face the dragon again."

Ron snorted in amusement as Hermione came back down.

"Are you guys going to the Great Hall?" Dean asked as he and Seamus walked down the staircase that led to the boys' dormitories.

"Yeah," Harry said.

"Can we join?" Dean asked as he wrapped a Gryffindor scarf around his neck.

"Of course," Hermione said.

The five Gryffindors walked into the Great Hall laughing at a joke Seamus told them.

When Harry stopped laughing he looked to his right where Dean and Seamus were, both boys had grins on their faces. He was glad they were friends again, he and Dean hadn't stopped being friends but when Seamus and he got into a fight it made things awkward. Dean was Seamus' best friend so Harry hadn't really spent any time with the boy since the end of fourth year. The books had a lot of negatives but one of the positives was that they helped to mend friendships. He looked to his left when he heard his name, he saw Daphne and smiled. They also helped to start relationships that otherwise might not have happened.

Daphne walked up to Harry and grabbed his hand. "Are you ready for a fun day filled with trying on shirts and endless color samples?"

Daphne and Hermione both laughed at the looks on all four boys faces.

"I'm really glad I'm not you at the moment mate," Dean said as he clapped him on the back.

"Thanks," Harry said dryly as Daphne led him to the Gryffindor table.

The trio and Daphne had a quick breakfast before they put on their cloaks and left the Great Hall. Thirty minutes later after being glared at by Filch and having their names checked twice they made it to Hogsmeade. They walked through the snow which covered the ground, the trees and the roofs of all the little shops. There were Christmas wreaths hanging on doors and bells tied to door knobs. It didn't look any different than it had just a few days ago when Harry had come with Daphne for their first date, but it still made him smile. He didn't think he would ever get tired of visiting the quaint village.

"I don't really know where to look," Harry admitted as they walked through the crowded streets. He was surprised this many people were outside since it was so cold.

"We can start at Gladrags," Hermione suggested as they stopped in front of a large shop.

Harry looked at Ron who shrugged in a helpless sort of way.

"Sure," Harry said as he pushed the door open.

He had only been into the store once before, all he remembered was that they had lurid socks. When he entered the store his eyes landed on a rack with what appeared to be fifty different types of socks. Upon closer inspection he saw that some had flashing silver stars, a pair had snitches flying around them and one pair even screamed when they got too smelly. He and Ron spent almost ten minutes laughing at the different pairs of socks before Daphne and Hermione pulled them both towards the clothes.

Harry didn't know how it happened; all he knew was that twenty minutes later he was standing in a fitting room with over forty different things to try on. He had jeans, dress pants, t-shirts and dressy button up shirts. He didn't know how wizards found it hard to dress like muggles when this store sold plenty of muggle clothing.

"Come out once you've put something on," Hermione's voice called out.

Harry fought the urge to groan, this was not his idea of a good time.

Harry came out of the fitting room wearing a pair of black jeans and a green long sleeved shirt. He blushed when Ron wolf whistled causing the red head to burst into laughter.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Honestly Ronald." She walked up to Harry to inspect the shirt. "Don't embarrass him."

"I wouldn't be his best mate if I didn't try to embarrass him," Ron said as his lips twitched.

"I think those jeans looked good on you," Daphne said as she walked around him.

Harry's blush deepened and Ron smirked.

Almost an hour later the four teens left Gladrags Wizardwear, Harry carrying four large bags. He ended up getting six pairs of dark blue jeans, four pairs of light blue jeans and one black pair. Hermione told him he should get some dress pants so he bought five pairs; bottle green, dark gray, dark blue and two black. Several plain t-shirts as well as a few dressy ones were also added to the bill; as was a pair of socks that had moving broomsticks and snitches on them, much to Hermione's annoyance and Ron's amusement.

"You aren't seriously going to wear those socks?" Hermione asked sounding exasperated.

"Of course I will," Harry told her for the third time.

"There's a store up here that sells nice dress robes and cloaks," Daphne said before Hermione could complain more about Harry's choice in socks.

"Will I be done shopping after that?" Harry asked hopefully.

Daphne raised one eyebrow. "You still need shoes and undergarments."

Ron's laughter echoed in Harry's ears as he turned bright red.

"Excuse me?" Harry practically stuttered out.

Hermione rolled her eyes, she felt like she had been doing that a lot today. "Boxers Harry, you need some."

"Oh," Harry said as he tried to avoid everyone's eyes. "Right."

By the time they had finished buying clothes from the next two stores it was time for lunch. Harry now had a dozen bags, but thankfully for him Ron was carrying half of them. He purchased a dozen pairs of dress robes, several winter cloaks, two weeks' worth of boxers and four pairs of shoes. By the time they reached the Three Broomsticks Harry was tired and ready to return to Hogwarts.

"I think I've done all the shopping that I can do for one day," Harry said as he sat down next to his girlfriend.

Daphne squeezed his knee and gave him a dazzling smile. "It wasn't so bad, we had fun."

"I sure did," Ron said with a grin. "I've never laughed so hard while someone tried on clothes."

"It's not my fault I fell," Harry said as a blush crept up his cheeks.

"You fell out of the dressing room with your pants around your ankles," Ron said as he laughed at the memory.

Hermione shot Ron a slight glare but her lips were twitching. "He was wearing boxers Ron."

"Still," Ron said. "It was the funniest thing I've seen in a while."

"Thanks Ron," Harry said dryly.

After lunch they made their way back to Hogwarts and after Harry put his bags on his bed he went back to his friends.

"Did you get everything put away?" Daphne asked when Harry walked out of the portrait hole.

Harry looked slightly sheepish. "I just dumped it all on my bed."

Hermione and Daphne exchanged looks and spoke at the same time. "Boys."

Harry smiled at them; he was glad that they were getting along well. He grabbed Daphne's hand and tucked a strand of her blonde hair behind her ear.

"It's only three," Hermione told them. "What do you guys-"

Hermione was interrupted by a loud bang; everyone quickly turned and saw a laughing Dean and a red faced Seamus.

"What's wrong?" Hermione quickly asked.

Dean spoke through his laughter. "Seamus tried to cast a spell but instead of doing what he meant to have happen, he caught the sleeve of his robe on fire."

They all looked down to see steam coming from Seamus' red robes.

"It could've happened to anyone," Seamus said sounding agitated.

"Yes," Dean said as his laughter died down. "But it happens to you all the time."

"I'm gonna go change," Seamus said as he shoved his wand into his pocket. "Firefly." The portrait opened and he walked inside.

Dean shook his head before looking at Harry. "Have fun on your shopping trip?"

"It was good," Harry said before adding. "Besides the shopping part."

Dean snorted. "I never liked shopping much either, but I grew up being forced to shop." He answered their questioning looks. "I have three half-sisters."

A few minutes later Seamus came clambering out of the portrait hole wearing jeans and a plain black t-shirt.

"So what are we going to do?" Seamus asked as he looked around at everyone.

"We can go see what everyone else is doing," Daphne suggested when no one said anything.

"It's not like there's anything else to do," Ron said with a shrug.

They walked down into the entrance hall and saw Susan, Hannah, Justin and Ernie sitting on a bench talking.

"Hey guys," Susan said with a wave when she saw them.

"Hi," Harry said to the group of Hufflepuffs.

Greetings were exchanged, or in the case of Daphne introductions were made.

"Daphne," a voice called and Daphne turned around to see her best friends.

"Hey," Daphne said with a smile as she released Harry's hand to hug her friends.

More introductions and greetings were exchanged. The Hufflepuffs looked slightly nervous to be talking to so many Slytherins at once by they were polite. Blaise was quiet, only saying hello when introduced to someone. To Harry it seemed like he was trying to observe everyone at once.

"Why aren't you in Hogsmeade?" Daphne asked her friends.

"It was too cold outside," Lily said as she pulled her cloak tighter around herself. "And the Three Broomsticks was packed."

"You can spend the day with us," Daphne suggested to her fellow Slytherins.

Tracey looked at Harry who nodded; he would need to befriend Daphne's friends sooner or later.

"Okay," Tracey said looking relieved at Harry's nod.

Hermione tugged Harry's sleeve and he looked at her. "Maybe we should show them the Room of Requirement." Harry raised an eyebrow and Hermione nodded.

"I have a place we can go," Harry said bringing all of the attention onto him. "Susan, Hannah, Justin and Ernie already know about it." The Hufflepuffs looked confused until it hit them, the room they'd been using for DA meetings. "Dean you know what I'm talking about." Dean nodded. "Seamus, you haven't been in there yet."

Seamus looked confused. "Been in where?"

"You'll see," Harry told them as he took Daphne's hand. "Follow me."

Harry led everyone up to the seventh floor to the portrait of Barnabas the Barmy. He let go of Daphne's hand and began walking back and forth, he did so three times until a large door appeared. The Slytherins and Seamus looked shocked that a door just appeared out of nowhere.

"What in Merlin's name is that?" Tracey asked wide eyed. She wasn't even bothering to hide her emotions, she was far too shocked.

"I'll tell you inside," Harry said as he pulled the door open. "Come on."

They all entered the room of requirement; it looked exactly like it did during the DA meetings.

"This is the Room of Requirement," Harry told them as the Slytherins and Seamus looked around. "This room only appears when someone has real need of it, and it can be anything you need it to be. I've been teaching some people Defense this year, and we've been using this room to do it."

"You knew about this place," Seamus accused his best friend.

Dean held up his hands. "I couldn't say anything."

"Harry, this place is amazing," Daphne said as she put her arms around his neck. "How'd you find it?"

"Dobby told me about it," Harry told her.

"Really?" Daphne asked incredulously and he nodded.

"You guys come in here?" Tracey asked the four Hufflepuffs.

"Only for DA meetings," Justin told her.

"What's the DA?" Lily asked as she walked back over to where everyone was standing.

"It's the name of our Defense group," Hermione explained. "It stands for Dumbledore's Army, since that's the ministries greatest fear."

"I've never even heard of this place," Blaise said, speaking for the first time since entering the room.

"I hadn't either until Dobby told me," Harry said.

They spent the time up until dinner talking in the Room of Requirement. As they all walked down to the Great Hall for dinner Harry couldn't help the smile that came to his face. He had just spent the past couple of hours getting to know people he had been friends with before the reading better. He hadn't known that Justin had sense a good sense of humour or that Hannah was probably the sweetest person he'd ever met. He had always thought Ernie was a bit pompous but today he saw a different side of him as he laughed at Ron's jokes. He found that Susan was smart, not Hermione smart but pretty close.

Harry also got to see how Daphne interacted with her friends and it made him smile wider. She really seemed to care for her friends, and they seemed like nice people. A few weeks ago he never would've considered any Slytherins to be nice. Tracey was sweet but she had a sarcastic streak as well. Lily was funny and Blaise was serious but Harry could see amusement in his eyes when his friends were goofing off.

And Harry felt a warm sensation in his stomach every time Daphne had kissed him or squeezed his hand. Throughout the day she had made sure to remind him that she was there and that she liked him. He found that he liked kissing her more and more as the time passed. At one point he wanted to kiss her forever but Hermione made a noise in the back of her throat and they both quickly broke apart. He was glad that he had a good day because he knew soon they would be reading about the tournament and he probably wouldn't be in the mood to laugh.

Daphne looked at her boyfriend who had a smile on his face causing her to grin. She had enjoyed the day getting to know his best friends better. Before these books she thought Hermione was just a book worm and that Ron was only a tag-along. She learned that they both had many more sides to them and so did Harry. Harry wasn't anything like she had expected and she was glad for that. She felt comfortable, happy and safe with him and when he grabbed her hand she never wanted to let him go.

Hermione's mind drifted as she listened to Ron and Seamus talk about quidditch. Today when they were in Hogsmeade she got to see a different side to Daphne. The Slytherin had seen happy and carefree as she walked hand in hand with Harry through the different stores. Even though she hadn't known the girl before these books, she had seen her around and Daphne had always looked somewhat cold and distant. Hermione now knew that the cold and distant Daphne had just been a front. She was glad because she liked the Daphne she was slowly getting to know. She could see that Harry made her happy and that she made him just as happy.

Ron had to admit that Daphne wasn't like he thought she'd be. He thought she would be a female version of Draco but she was the complete opposite. All day long she tried to include him and Hermione in everything she said or did. She asked them questions and laughed at Ron's jokes. And he may not be smart when it came to girls but he could see that she really liked Harry and he knew Harry like he knew himself, and he could see that Harry was falling for the girl. He still wasn't happy with the fact that she's in Slytherin but he liked her so he'd give her a chance. He'd try to be her friend and as long as she didn't hurt Harry she'd be okay with him. _'And it could be worse.'_ Ron thought as he looked at Daphne. _'He could be dating Parkinson.'_ He shuddered at the thought.

Seamus clapped Ron and Harry on the back as they finally entered the Great Hall. He hadn't spoken to either of them since fifth year started until these books began. He was glad that he had apologized during the reading, after everything he'd read he didn't believe for one minute the lies that the Daily Prophet was spewing. He missed laughing around with Harry and Ron like they used to in their dorm late at night. He could clearly remember the five Gryffindor boys goofing around on Friday nights and laughing at the stupid things Crabbe and Goyle did together. He knew now that he should've listened to Harry when he said that he didn't lie about what happened last year; he'd been friends with him since they were eleven after all. It was just so hard to think that the ministry would knowingly print lies. He shook his head, he didn't want to dwell on the past when at the moment the future looked so bright.

The Hufflepuffs and Slytherins with the exception of Daphne said goodbye to the Gryffindors and went to their separate tables. There were some shocked looks that four Hufflepuffs, several Slytherins and a group of Gryffindors would walk into the Great Hall laughing. Normally the only way you'd see Slytherins with anyone from those houses is if hexes were being thrown. Daphne wasn't a surprise since she'd been dating Harry but the other Slytherins were a surprise. Pansy was one of the ones who were glaring; she was angry that even more Slytherins were befriended Gryffindors and even worse, Hufflepuffs.

Blaise thought over the past couple hours as he sat down across from Theo at the Slytherin table. Today was the first day he'd spent more than a few minutes in Harry's presence outside of class. He was surprised to find that he actually liked him; if he had been in Slytherin he could imagine that they would've been friends since first year. He hadn't said a lot today, he spent most of the time in the Room of Requirement observing everyone else. He wanted to see how everyone interacted with one another especially Harry and Daphne. His best friend seemed to really like the Boy Who Lived. It didn't bother him as much as it should; his only problem was that someone might hurt her to get to him. He glanced at Pansy who was flirting with Draco, but surprisingly Draco wasn't paying attention. He would need to watch her; he didn't trust Pansy as far as he could throw a basilisk.

Justin sat down next to Ernie and began piling food onto his plate. He hadn't planned on seeing Harry or anyone outside of Hufflepuff today but he was glad he did. He talked to Harry in DA meetings and in class but rarely do they spend time outside of that. It was different seeing him interact in a setting that was meant to be fun. It was hard to believe that he was the same boy who had fought a basilisk and one hundred dementors. Harry seemed so happy and carefree but when his mind thought back to the books he knew that Harry was anything but carefree. He admired Harry for going through everything he had and still being able to get through the day with a smile on his face. Most people would've given up a long time ago, but not Harry, he just kept on fighting. He was a real hero, not a fraud like Lockhart.

The next day went by quickly with the trio spending more time with Daphne's friends and the four Hufflepuffs from the day prior. However they had another addition, Luna Lovegood. She was in the Room of Requirement when they entered it after breakfast. She was staring at the ceiling and humming; when they walked in she looked at them.

"Hello," Luna said in her usual dreamy voice. "I've been waiting for you."

No one knew what to say, they exchanged confused looks but joined Luna who smiled brightly at them all.

* * *

The day after they finished reading chapter thirteen, those that had just recently joined the reading met in the staff room. Ollivander was the first one to arrive; he walked into the room to see Dumbledore looking down at a stack of four books.

"Hello Albus," Ollivander said in a misty voice.

"Hello old friend," Albus said with a smile and his usual twinkle.

Before either one could say anything further Viktor walked in his shoulder slumped and a slight scowl on his face. He took a seat at a round table after greeting the two older men. A few minutes later Andromeda and her husband Ted arrived. Rufus Scrimgeour walked in next wearing a gray suit; he looked like he had been up all night. The last to arrive were Narcissa and Lucius, they arrived wearing clothes far too formal for a mere book reading. Narcissa looked splendid in a set of light blue dress robes, her blonde hair in a twisted up-do. Lucius wore black dress robes with small silver snakes embroidered around the sleeves and collar, his snake cane in his left hand. Narcissa didn't even spare her sister a glance as she took a seat between her husband and Ollivander.

"Last night I invited three more guests," Dumbledore said to the rooms occupants. "Once they arrive we can begin to read the first book."

Andromeda was about to ask who the two new guests were when an old woman wearing a green dress and carrying a red hand bag walked in. The woman had an odd looking vulture hat perched atop her head and a serious expression upon her face.

"Ah, Augusta," Dumbledore said as he stood up. "I'm glad that you could join us."

"You didn't give me much of a choice Albus," Augusta Longbottom said as she walked over to the headmaster. "You said that I was needed to read books about the future. At first I thought it was some sort of joke but with all of the secrecy charms I could detect on the letter I knew you must be telling the truth." She took a seat to Dumbledore's left and the headmaster sat back down. "Shall we begin?"

"Not yet," Dumbledore said, his eyes landed on the door and the twinkling dimmed slightly. "Aberforth."

Aberforth grunted as he walked into the room. He and his older brother didn't talk very much, they spoke occasionally about the Order but other than that their contact was minimal. He still found it hard to look at his brother without seeing the person who might have been responsible for his sweet baby sister's death. When Albus had written to him and told him he was needed to read books about the future he thought that his brother had gone mad. Albus explained to him that they were from the point of view of Harry Potter and that they were sent to change the future. He didn't know what things happened for those in the future to want to change it and a part of him didn't want to know but his curiosity got the better of him.

"Hello, hello," a joyous voice called out and everyone turned towards the door. A bald man with a large belly and a pair of green dress robes was standing in the doorway.

Dumbledore smiled at the newest addition. "Hello, Horace."

Horace Slughorn smiled as he walked into the room. "My, my it's good to see you all." After he greeted everyone he took a seat next to Dumbledore.

"Take a seat Horace and we can begin," Dumbledore said. "As I explained in your letters these books are from the point of view of Harry Potter. They begin with his first year at Hogwarts and they seem to go through his seventh year. The students and some of the visiting guests have already read the first three and up to chapter thirteen of book four. Most of you have read thirteen chapters of book four but Augusta and Aberforth you two haven't. After we finish books one through three you two can read those thirteen chapters." He looked around the room.

Lucius wore an expressionless mask as he stared at the pile of books. Narcissa's mask was starting to slip as she tried not to look at her sister. Ted kept glancing sideways at his sister in law while Andromeda was fidgeting with her hands under the table to keep from looking at her sister. Ollivander and Rufus were listening intently to Dumbledore while Viktor looked slightly interested. Augusta was eyeing everyone in the room while Aberforth stared at a portrait on the wall behind his brother.

"Does anyone have any questions or anything they'd like to say?" Dumbledore asked and no one said anything. "Very well, let us begin." He opened up the book. "Chapter one, **The Boy Who Lived**."

* * *

After two days of reading almost nonstop they had finally finished the first three books.

Augusta stared at the books they had just read which were now sitting in the middle of the table. Everything she had thought about the famous Boy Who Lived had come crashing down by the second chapter of the first book. She had met Harry when he was a few months old; he had been such a cute and happy baby. James and Lily had loved him just as much as her son Frank and his wife Alice had loved Neville. To see how that baby went from being happy and loved to being treated like a house elf infuriated the woman. She was a tough woman; anyone who had ever met Augusta Longbottom would tell you that she was as tough as they came. But to read about the horrors that a small child had been through made her want to tear her hair out.

Then that little boy leaves his abusive home only to be treated like some sort of side show. He couldn't even get away from his fame at school where he was supposed to be safe. And then the poor boy goes and sees that monster Voldemort who murdered his parents. Most adults would pass out or run at the sight of him, yet Harry stands bravely and faces him down. And then the next year he goes down into the Chamber of Secrets knowing what sort of creature is down there. The fact that he defeated a basilisk at twelve years old was extraordinary. She didn't know of anyone in history who had killed a basilisk with a sword. How Tom Riddle could say there was nothing special about him was thestral crap in her opinion. Ordinary wizards couldn't perform a patronus charm at thirteen, and they wouldn't risk their lives and soul to save a man they barely knew. There was definitely something special about Harry Potter.

As her mind processed the books she focused on what Harry heard when he was near dementors. If she were to hear someone who she loved lasts words she didn't know what she'd do. She had known James and Lily; they had been close with Frank. She had seen James as a little boy of eleven and to hear how brave he was in the end was heart breaking. The way he told his wife to run while he tried to hold off the darkest wizard of the age was both terribly amazing and terribly sad. In her mind she saw her son telling Alice to run with Neville and she felt a pang in her chest. She didn't understand why that boy had to go through so much in his life, it just wasn't fair but if she knew anything it was that life wasn't fair. It seemed to be the good people who had bad things happen to them. One thing confused her though; she didn't know why Voldemort gave Lily Potter a chance to move out of the way when he killed James Potter without a second thought. She thought if he would spare anyone it would be the pureblood, not the muggleborn. She didn't dwell on it for too long however because her thoughts drifted to her grandson.

She also felt angry when she read how her brother had treated Neville. She had never heard of the time her grandson had almost drowned, she would definitely be speaking to Algie. She also felt ashamed when Neville said that they tried to force magic out of him, she knew that her son would be furious if he had known that. She had felt immense pried when she read about Neville standing up to Harry, Hermione and Ron in one of the last chapters. She always knew that her grandson had it in him to be brave like his parents. She hoped he knew that she was proud of him; however she would need to talk to him about not letting Snape get to him.

Her blood boiled when she thought about Snape. Calling her grandson an idiot when he's whimpering in pain? No one treats her grandson like that; she would be speaking to that man before these books were out. Neville had always had a knack for Herbology, and that goes hand in hand with Potions. He should be at least decent at Potions, and he probably would be with a different teacher.

Her eyes gazed around the room until they landed on Lucius Malfoy. He looked like he didn't have a care in the world, and she wanted to curse that look off of his face. He was the reason Harry had to fight a basilisk in the first place. He was the reason a young girl almost long her soul, and the reason why several students were petrified. Her grandson was had been at Hogwarts, what would've happened if he had been petrified or worse? She would've killed Lucius; she would've torn him apart limb by limb with her bare hands. She vowed to find a way to get him thrown into Azkaban.

Narcissa sat frowning at the books; she didn't like what she learned at all. Her son had always told her that Harry Potter started all of their fights. Their encounter on the train also wasn't at all like Draco had described. He had made Harry out to be arrogant and rude. In the books Harry was portrayed as the exact opposite, he was kind and caring. She would be speaking with Draco about the way he treated people, if he wasn't careful he would pay one day for the way he treated people.

Narcissa felt horrible for the orphan, his own family treated him worse than a house elf. She would never treat a child the way those muggles treated their nephew. She felt a pang as she realized that she had treated her sister horribly since she got with the muggleborn Ted. Sure she hadn't starved her but she had completely ignored her and cut her off from any help. She blamed a large majority of their estrangement on her sister since Andromeda was the one who left, but she felt guilty for disowning her sister because she fell in love with a muggleborn.

Her frown then disappeared and turned into a scowl as she remembered the end of the second book. She couldn't believe the audacity of her husband. Giving an eleven year old girl a diary in order to possess her and open up a secret chamber in order to kill muggleborns. She didn't believe in the murder of adults let alone in children. What made her even angrier was that her son had been there, she would've killed her husband no matter her beliefs if her son had gotten killed. She also felt angry when she learned that Dobby hadn't been freed because of the way he worked but because her husband was tricked by a twelve year old boy. And then her husband tried to strangle that boy, a boy who at the time was loved by almost the entire wizarding world.

Her anger once more turned into sadness as her thoughts drifted to the third book. She grimaced as James and Lily's last words rang in her head. To hear your parents last words, especially at such a young age would be traumatic, and then to have your school enemy rub it in your face. She knew that Draco hadn't known at the time what Harry heard but he still shouldn't have made fun of the boy. She felt sick as she thought of Draco once more, she didn't know what she'd do if he turned out to be a death eater like her husband. She loved Lucius but she didn't love what he was when the Dark Lord was around but there was nothing she could do. If she left she would be considered a traitor, and if she took Draco he would be considered one too and then his life would be in danger. She internally sighed; it was at times like these when she really wished she had Andromeda. Bellatrix was in Azkaban, but even if she wasn't Bella had never been the comforting type. It had always been Andromeda or Andy as she called her, who would comfort her when she was sad, scared or sick. _'If only she hadn't chosen the muggleborn over us.'_ She thought but then a part of her felt guilty. _'Would she have been happy if she would've given up true love?'_ A little voice in the back of her head whispered. _'No, she wouldn't have.'_

At the moment she wanted nothing more than to distance herself from her husband and go to her sister, bringing Draco with but then an image of the Dark Lords pale horrible face came to the forefront of her mind. _'I've already been through this; it would just put Draco in danger.'_ But then a thought came to her, it made her feel hopeful. If these books showed them how to defeat Voldemort than she could make sure that Draco was safe until he was defeated. Her hoped was instantly squashed as another thought came to her, maybe these books don't show Voldemort being defeated. Maybe Harry Potter will die and the light side will fall, and if that happens then there won't be any way for her to keep her son out of harm's way.

Her eyes landed on the fourth book, it was much thicker than the previous ones. A horrible feeling settled in her stomach as she realized that Harry Potter witnessed the Dark Lord's rebirth. That means her husband will be revealed as a death eater and so will a lot of other important men. She closed her eyes briefly and a memory came to the front of her mind. She was eleven years old, Andromeda was thirteen and Bellatrix was fifteen. They were getting ready to apparate with their parents to Kings Cross station for Narcissa's first year at Hogwarts. Bellatrix was teasing her about being disowned if she wasn't sorted into Slytherin causing Narcissa to feel sick. Andromeda had glared at Bella and grabbed Narcissa's hand, she told the younger girl that no matter what she would always love her and be there whenever Narcissa needed her. She had been able to hear the sincerity in her sister's words, and she saw the love in her eyes. In that moment she had felt safe and happy, but less than a decade later that happiness had been replaced by anger when Andromeda fell in love with Ted Tonks.

Narcissa had begged her sister to reconsider marrying the man. She had cried and begged, she had never wished for anything more in her entire life. Andromeda had cried and told her that she was in love with him. Narcissa understood partially but a larger part was angry because it felt like her sister was choosing a man over her. Their parents banished Andromeda from the family, cutting all physical, emotional and financial ties. She had even been blasted off of the family tapestry that hangs in Grimmauld Place. She had wanted to write to her sister but she knew that if she was caught that she would be banished as well, and unlike Andromeda she hadn't been brave enough to ever stand up to their parents. She looked over at her sister for the first time that day and saw that she appeared to be deep in thought.

Andromeda frowned as she got lost in her own thoughts. She felt like crawling into her bed and crying for a month straight. No one should have to go through what Harry had gone through. Living in a house full of hatred and cruelty is something no child should ever go through. The Dursley's reminded her of a muggle version of her family. The Black's had thought that muggles where freaks, whereas the Dursley's thought that wizards were freaks. Harry had grown up being put down every day yet he grew into a kind, caring and loyal young man. She had known James and Lily, they hadn't been very close but they had been friends and she knows they would've been proud.

She pictured her Nymphadora fighting a Dark Wizard at eleven; even if he was only a shadow of his former self he had still been terrifying. The thought made bile rise in her throat and her heart clench painfully. And when they read about Aragog and the Chamber of Secrets she had squeezed her husband's hand so hard she thought she would break his fingers. She pictured a small, tiny Harry trying to run away from a giant poisonous snake and she knew the images she had conjured would haunt her dreams. Yesterday, they had read the first book and half of the second. She had got no sleep; she kept imagining Harry's limp body lying in the forest or her daughter in his place. She had felt her husband tossing and turning all night, she knew that he hadn't slept either.

When they read about him being bitten by a basilisk she could've sworn she felt her heart stop. She would've had a heart attack if she hadn't remember that Harry was alive and she had just seen him. She shuddered as she thought about what would've happened if Fawkes hadn't been there to cry on his wound. She couldn't help but smile slightly when she thought about how brave he was to enter the Chamber of Secrets to save a girl he barely knew. But the smile disappeared as the image of a dementor entered her mind and she shivered.

 _'"Not Harry, Please not Harry."'_ The words kept repeating themselves over and over again in her mind. She could see the twenty one year old Lily attempting to shield her son from Lord Voldemort as the man yelled at her to move. That however confused her; she couldn't see why Voldemort would allow Lily the chance to move. After all she was a muggleborn and Voldemort despised muggleborns almost as much as muggles.

She looked up to see her sister looking at her, when Narcissa saw her look up she quickly turned her gaze elsewhere. Andromeda felt another pang, but this one was of longing. She missed her sister so much that it ached. Reading about Draco hurt slightly as well, she had never even seen the boy until a few days ago when she came to the reading. And reading about him he seemed to take after more of Lucius' traits, something which didn't make her happy. She had noticed during the reading of the second book when it was revealed that Lucius gave Ginny the book that Narcissa was both hurt and angry. To anyone else Narcissa would've looked only slightly agitated but she could read her younger sister like a book. They had once been the best of friends, and she knew her emotions almost as well as she knew her own. She could see the hurt in her sisters eyes and in that moment she knew that Narcissa hadn't known what Lucius had done. She could also see that she was angry at her husband for his actions. She let out a quiet sigh, she wished with all of her heart that they could talk once more.

Lucius wore the stony expression he had worn since walking into the room. It was surprising to learn that the Potter boy was supposed to be in Slytherin. He felt like cursing his son for turning the boy away from Slytherin, if his son hadn't been rude to Ronald Weasley, Harry might not have told the hat not to sort him into Slytherin. Another surprise was the way his family treated him. He had been under the impression that Harry Potter was a spoiled and pampered boy. Snape had told him how arrogant Harry was but in the books he seems quite the opposite. Even when he broke the rules it was for a good cause, and some of the things he did were quite Slytherin. But even more of his actions were as expected extremely Gryffindor.

He didn't want to admit it but he was grudgingly impressed with some of the things the boy had done. No other eleven year old would've been able to walk up to someone they thought was trying to kill them and then defy that person even after they've been threatened. And stabbing a basilisk with a sword? He hadn't known that. All he knew was that he had somehow destroyed his master's diary, something which the Dark Lord had punished him greatly for. Of course, when he had given Ginny the diary he had thought that Voldemort was truly dead. The way he killed the basilisk was surprising and it made him slightly worried. He had been told that Potter was no more than a mediocre wizard, but producing a patronus powerful enough to drive away over one hundred dementors at thirteen? Being willing to fight to the death against hundreds of acromantula? He hated to admit it but he was a more formidable foe than he thought.

He wanted to tell the Dark Lord but he knew that there had been spells placed on the books to stop people from speaking about them to outsiders. He still thought that Voldemort was more powerful, but now he knew that Harry wasn't as weak as he first suspected and it made him angry. Why hadn't his son told him any of this? There's a possibility that he hadn't known, but he wished that he would have known some of this.

He looked at his wife who was looking at the stack of books. She had spoken with him the night before after hearing how Draco behaved in the first book and half of the second. She told him that he never should've used the word mudblood around him and that he needed to stop letting Draco get away with his behavior. She had spoken in a deathly calm voice for almost an hour while Lucius followed her pacing. He hadn't spoken because he knew that when his wife paced it meant she was truly angry. He really did love his wife and he knew that she wasn't one to mess with when she was angry. He had behaved the same way as Draco growing up so he didn't see anything wrong with it but his wife disagreed. However he did need to tell Draco not to use that word in front of certain people. A Slytherin should never say mudblood when outnumbered two to one or even worse odds. He needed to learn when to speak and when to keep his mouth shut.

All of a sudden it was as if a light bulb turned on in his brain and Lucius felt like crucioing himself. The Dark Lord had wondered what had happened with his and Potter's wand in the graveyard. He just learned that Potter had the brother wand to Voldemort's, and brother wands can't fight each other. That would explain why his killing curse connected with Potter's curse instead of killing him. He needed to find a way to tell the Dark Lord about these books and their brother wands, but he didn't think it would be easy.

Viktor was staring at the books with mixed feelings. He knew that Harry was made of tough stuff, a person had to be to manage to out fly a dragon but he didn't know just how tough. The boy survived a lifetime of abuse just to go and face his parents' killer knowing that he might die. Viktor knew that at eleven he would never have been able to do that, he doubted whether he could do that now without being scared. His respect for the fifteen year old grew exponentially by the time they had finished the first book. By the time they had finished the second book Viktor's respect for him grew even more. The thought of going near a basilisk would scare a grown man let alone a small twelve year old.

When he read about Hermione being petrified he had felt sick. They had dated last year and even though they weren't anymore he still considered her to be a friend. Hermione had told him sometime after the Yule Ball that she had been petrified but she hadn't gone into much detail about it, he was now glad that she hadn't.

His mind raced as he thought about the third book. Harry went from thinking Sirius Black was trying to kill him to learning the man was his godfather and that he was really innocent. Not only that but his best friend's rat was really the man who betrayed his parents, and he had been sleeping next to him for three years. The thought that a grown man was sleeping in bed with a teenage boy made him sick to his stomach. He could stomach a lot but that was too close to pedophilia for his liking.

Viktor had always been close with his parents and reading about Harry hearing his parents' last words really got to Viktor. He imaged it being read in his mother's voice as Lily Potter begged for mercy. He was by no means a weak man, he had always been tough. One had to be in order to play professional quidditch but when he read those chapters he felt vulnerable and weak. He didn't have any kids so he couldn't imagine how James Potter had felt but he knew that his dad would've done the same thing for him and his mother.

He recalled meeting Harry last year and only seeing a famous boy who was scrawny and wore glasses. But now he knew that underneath his messy hair and baggy clothes was a boy who was braver than anyone Viktor would ever know. He was proud to call Harry Potter a friend.

Aberforth sat staring at the portrait of a beautiful sunset that was on the wall. There were waves crashing as the sun rose behind it and you could see birds flying high up in the sky. He was intrigued by Harry Potter, he became more so as he read the books. He had only seen the boy once before and it was when he had come into the Hog's Head with a large group of people a while back. He hadn't seemed like anything special but after reading these books he knew he had been wrong. And unlike his brother who had let power get to his head, Harry seemed to be modest and the opposite of power hungry. Quite the opposite, he seemed quite happy when he was in the background and annoyed in the spot light.

He knew of a quote; 'Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character, give him power.' His brother had failed that test but Harry Potter seemed to pass it with flying colors. He hoped he continued on the path he was heading because in order to face the storm Aberforth knew was coming he would need a lot of bravery. He knew that soon the war would come hard and fast, most likely it would be worse than the first. And he had a feeling that Harry wouldn't stand by and do nothing even though in his opinion children shouldn't be fighting, and he would need his selflessness and bravery to survive.

As his thoughts went to his brother he couldn't help but feel both angry and agitated. He knew his brother well enough to know that he could've stopped Harry from facing Voldemort in his first year but he didn't. It seemed to him that his brother wanted to test the boy, something which he greatly disapproved of. However when he thought to Harry's second year he knew there was no way Albus knew what the monster was, Albus may be willing to test the boy but he wouldn't have sent him to face a basilisk. He looked at Albus who appeared to be deep in thought, his hands were folded and his chin was rested atop them. He didn't really know what to think when it came to his brother, they had never been close but their relationship became even more strained after their sister's death. He was tempted to talk to him about Harry's first year but he pushed the want down, even if he did confront him there was no way of knowing if what he was saying was the truth or not. He did love his brother but there would always be that slight resentment; resentment for befriending Grindelwald; resentment for putting power before his family; resentment for not being there for Ariana when she needed him; and most of all, resentment because it might have been Albus who ended their sisters life.

Rufus was shocked at what he had just read to say the least. He had learned about Harry's home life somewhat in the first few chapters of the fourth book, but it was shown as being even worse in the earlier books. He couldn't believe that Dumbledore had left Harry Potter or any child for that matter with those horrible muggles. He knew there wasn't any way he would know how they'd treat the boy but he could've at least have checked up on the boy.

When he thought about the accidental magic Harry had performed he was impressed. Apparating at such a young age was unheard of unless the witch or wizard was extremely powerful. And vanishing such a large piece of glass was also hard to do. Most accidental magic comprised small things like changing something small into something else or summoning a toy that had been taken away or was too far.

He was even more impressed by everything the young boy had been through. Most of his aurors hadn't done as much as that fifteen year old boy. Making it all the way through the trap door and its traps was spectacular for an eleven year old, even if he did have help with them. Standing up to not only a dark wizard but Voldemort as well was even more spectacular. He had more bravery than five of his aurors combined. The way he was ready to fight against hundreds of acromantula and the way he was willing to do anything for his friends was inspiring. And he had never been more impressed with someone in his entire life than he had been when he read about Harry stabbing a basilisk in the roof of its mouth. He didn't even think it was possible to fight a basilisk and survive on your own, especially not as a small twelve year old.

He knew from his trial a few months ago that he could produce a corporeal patronus, but he didn't know that at thirteen he had cast one powerful enough to get rid of a hundred dementors. Most adults can't even conjure one and if they can it would only be able to get rid of one or two. Harry would made an excellent auror, Rufus would make sure he was fast tracked into the program once he was finished with Hogwarts if that's what Harry wanted.

As well as being impressed he also felt bad for the teen. Hearing your mothers and fathers last words can't have been easy for him. Nothing he had gone through in his life seems like it would be easy. It caused him to wonder why no one ever suggested some form of therapy to help him deal with it. He seemed like he just bottled everything up but that couldn't be very good for him. If he didn't know that Pomfrey was going to perform a physical he would suggest one.

Horace Slughorn had met thousands of powerful witches and wizards in his time. He had taught future Potions masters, Ministers of Magic, heads of departments and famous quidditch players. He had always been able to tell when a student would go on to do great things and so far he hadn't been wrong. Even Tom Riddle had gone onto be great, he couldn't stop a small grimace from appearing on his face as he thought of his old student. He may have turned out to be evil but there was no denying that the magic he had performed was great.

As he listened to the books on Harry Potter's life being read out he felt immensely impressed. If he was still teaching at Hogwarts he would invite Harry to join the Slug Club. There was so much power and potential in the young boy and it was very obvious. He could tell that the boy was destined for great things.

However he couldn't help but feel horrified as he thought about Harry's home life. He had enjoyed teaching Lily immensely, she had been one of his favorites. To see her son being treated worse than a house elf made him furious, and it took him a lot to get angry. But the anger quickly turned into amazement when he read about a twelve year old Harry defeating a basilisk. The boy seemed braver than anyone Slughorn could recall ever meeting. He was very interested in finally meeting the teen. He was also interested in meeting Hermione Granger, she seemed like a very intelligent witch. Most people have a hard time making polyjuice potion, it's remarkable that she made it as a second year.

His mind drifted to Lily Evans, or Potter as she would be considered now. She had been so beautiful, smart, kind, caring and very good in Potions. She had always been one of the best in her year, only behind Severus Snape. Whenever she would finish her potion she would help her fellow classmates. He had invited her to join the Slug Club despite being a muggleborn. He never thought that pure-bloods were better than muggleborns, he had only judged on ability and connections. However, all those years ago it wasn't as common for non pure-bloods to have high positions in the ministry, not in England at least. She had been a very good addition, and she had thrived throughout her years at Hogwarts.

He could still remember receiving the news that Lily and her husband had been killed. It had truly devastated him because she had been one of his favorites for so long. He could still picture quite clearly a laughing red headed head girl walking into Potions hand in hand with James Potter. That relationship hadn't surprised him, it had been obvious from the beginning that James Potter would never give up on Lily. And he wasn't surprised that it took her until seventh year to see the real James, she had always been stubborn. He shook his head as guilt began to plague his thoughts. _'If only I hadn't told Tom.'_

Ted grabbed his wife's hand as his mind went over everything he had heard. His mind felt all jumbled and full as he tried to think clearly. It was hard to believe that everything they had read was true; that a scrawny little boy had really stopped Voldemort from coming back twice in a span of a year. First he faces off against a dark wizard with Voldemort sticking out of his head, then one year later he comes face to face with the teenage version of that same Dark Lord. He didn't know how Harry wasn't full of psychological problems; he knew that if that had been him he would need a lifetime of therapy.

Ollivander looked thoughtful as he stared up at the ceiling. He knew that Harry Potter was destined for greatness; there was no doubt about that. Ever since the boy had been matched with the brother wand to Tom Riddle's wand he had known. He also had no doubt in his mind that the boy was brave; he proved it time and time again in these books. Although he was wondering what Voldemort would do, because as long as they both had their original wands, neither would be able to kill the other. He wanted Harry to win of course, but he was also scared of what would happen if Voldemort was to find out about their connection.

Dumbledore's hands were steepled as he thought about everything he had read. Even though he had read them once with the whole school he wanted to hear them again which is why he joined this reading. Reading them for a second time just made him feel worse. He felt sadness, anger, guilt and grief all rolled into one. Sad that Harry never got the happy and loving childhood that he had desperately wanted for him. Sad that Harry had to hear James and Lily's last words and sadness that the boy he cared for like a grandson had to face things not even a grown man should have too. He felt angry that every bad thing seemed to happen to Harry and that he was partially responsible for Harry's horrible childhood. He felt guilty for not checking up on him and grief that Harry had experienced more pain and suffering than a dozen men should have to experience.

He should've checked up on him, he should've at least made sure he was happy. When Harry came to Hogwarts he could tell that he hadn't had the childhood he hoped he would but he thought it was an okay sacrifice in order to keep Harry alive. He knew that in order to keep Harry safe the boy needed to live with Petunia since she is the only living family member Harry has on his mother's side. But he should've and he could've done something to make sure that he was at least treated decently but he hadn't. He had truly thought that Petunia would love Harry and at least treat him with kindness. He knew that if James and Lily had to have taken in Dudley they would've loved him even though he wasn't their child, muggle or not.

When he had read about Harry being bitten by the basilisk for the second time it wasn't even easier. Before he read the book for the first time he hadn't known that Harry had been bitten at all. He had been able to tell that Harry wasn't telling him everything but he hadn't expected it to be something as bad as that. If he could take all of Harry's pain away he would but he couldn't. And he knew that unfortunately Harry's journey had only just begun, for he was the one that needed to defeat Voldemort once and for all. Dumbledore was pulled from his thoughts as the large wooden clock in the staff room rung announcing that it was nine o' clock.

Dumbledore let his hands fall into his lap. "Now that we have finished reading the first three books, everyone but Augusta, Horace and Aberforth are caught up." He pulled the fourth book towards him. "Would you three mind starting on the fourth book? We need to start reading again with the students and the other visitors in the morning."

"It's late," Aberforth grunted reminding everyone of Moody. "But we might as well."

"Very well," Augusta said as she glanced at the clock.

Horace nodded his agreement.

"Everyone else," Dumbledore said looking around at everyone, "have a good night and I shall see you in the morning."

Everyone except for Augusta, Horace, Aberforth and Dumbledore got up and walked silently out of the teachers' lounge.

Viktor shoved his hands into his pockets and began walking to the room Dumbledore set up for him to use for the reading. Everyone else walked in silence towards the large oak front doors that led outside so they could leave the wards and apparate home.

Narcissa and Lucius apparated home and landed in the middle of a large foyer. The floors were black marble and the Malfoy crest stood out in the center underneath a silver chandelier. Portraits of Lucius' ancestors hung on the walls that were twenty feet high. There was a black ornate staircase that led to the second floor of the manor and several archways leading off to different sections.

Upon apparating home the two stared at each other until finally Narcissa broke the silence.

She spoke in a calm but chilling voice. "How could you?" Lucius didn't say anything. "Our son Lucius, our son." The air around her seemed to crackle in her fury. "He could've been killed, did you not think about that when you were planning your revenge against Arthur Weasley." She stared at him for almost a minute before speaking again. "It's time you got over your little feud with him; you are a grown man who was willing to kill innocent children just so some muggle protection act wouldn't pass." He voice began to rise. "You lied to me Lucius. You lied to me more than once, and you endangered the life of my son. You are extremely lucky that nothing happened to Draco, because if it had you would regret it." She hissed the last few words, her face contorting.

Lucius stared at his wife not knowing what to say. He hadn't wanted his son to get hurt; he had just been so intent on pulling one over on Arthur Weasley. And he hadn't wanted that muggle protection act to pass; he never thought the monster would attack anyone other than muggleborns. A few muggleborns in exchange for his position in the ministry to stay the same wasn't a bad thing in his opinion. However he knew his wife wouldn't agree which is why he hadn't told her. He couldn't very well give the real reason because of that so he didn't say anything. He had thought about lying but she already knew the truth so there would be no point.

"I don't know what's happened to you Lucius but you aren't the man I married," Narcissa said trying to keep her voice steady. "When you joined him," she spat the word, "you changed into a man who is willing to kill children." She took a step towards him and slapped him hard across the face leaving a red hand print. She took a step back when she saw his face turn into one of shock and anger. She looked at her hand that was still in the air and lowered it to her side before turning around and walking up the stairs.

Lucius watched his wife walk up the stairs feeling an array of emotions. He felt shocked that his wife would do such a thing; she had never slapped him before. He was furious that she would dare to do so and he also felt worried about what would happen between them because of these books. He had a feeling that things wouldn't work out too well for him; he needed a way to fix everything before it was too late.

* * *

The next morning the students, staff and visiting adults walked into the Great Hall for breakfast.

All of the fifth year Gryffindors walked into the Hall together, laughing at Seamus who had accidentally walked into a wall when Neville all of a sudden came to an abrupt halt and stopped laughing.

Harry was the first one to notice. "What's wrong Nev?"

"Gran," Neville said as he stared in the direction at the staff table.

Harry looked up at the staff table and saw a woman sitting next to McGonagall, she had gray hair that was up in a bun and she wore a stern expression.

"What's she doing here?" Dean asked in confusion.

"I have no idea," Neville said shaking his head. "She didn't say anything about coming."

"And who's that?" Lavender said pointing to a man who looked a little bit like Dumbledore.

"I have no idea," Seamus said as he rubbed his nose. "But he looks an awful lot like Dumbledore."

The confused Gryffindors walked to their usual seats at the Gryffindor table. Daphne was already sitting there when they arrived; Harry smiled when he saw that she was talking to the twins.

"Hi Harry," Daphne practically beamed as he sat down. She put her arms around his neck and kissed him more than they had done so far in the Great Hall. He couldn't help but smile into the kiss as he slid one of his arms around her waist.

The twins wolf whistled loudly causing many people to look in their direction and them to pull apart much to both Harry and Daphne's disappointment.

When Harry realized that almost everyone was staring at them his cheeks turned red. He couldn't believe he had almost made out with his girlfriend in the middle of the Great Hall at breakfast. A few weeks ago he would've been nervous to even think about kissing a girl and he definitely wouldn't have kissed one in the Great Hall in front of everyone. But there was something about being with Daphne that made him not care if people saw them; he felt comfortable enough to kiss her in front of people. He just hadn't realized that everyone would stare at them as if they were an interesting muggle movie.

Cho was glaring at the couple from her seat, she was biting her tongue to stop herself from saying something scathing. She knew that she couldn't force Harry into a relationship with her but she felt like it was supposed to be her he was kissing and not Daphne. Just a few weeks ago he had liked her and now it was like she didn't even exist.

Ginny had been eating when she heard the twins wolf whistle, she turned and what she saw made her drop her spoon into her porridge. It looked like Harry and Daphne were going to start making out, it caused her stomach to clench painfully. She looked at Michael and saw that he was looking at her with something like annoyance on his face. _'He's probably annoyed that I'm mad. I shouldn't be mad, he's never liked me as more than just a friend, it's not like I have a reason to be mad.'_ She knew she shouldn't be jealous but she couldn't help how she felt. She really did want Harry to be happy but she had hoped that he would be happy with her.

Pansy glowered as she watched Harry and Daphne pulled a part. She didn't want to see them sucking each other's faces off while she was trying to eat her breakfast.

Throughout the hall there were girls that were wishing they were Daphne Greengrass. Romilda Vane was shooting Daphne jealous looks and a sixth year Hufflepuff was eyeing the Slytherin girl with annoyance. Girls weren't the only jealous ones in the hall; Harry was on the receiving end of many jealous looks from a lot of the male population. Daphne was the best looking fifth year and most people thought she was one of the best looking in the entire school. Crabbe was one of those boys who liked Daphne and he glared at Harry while he cracked his knuckles under the table.

Ron, Dean and Seamus were smirking as they looked at the red faced Harry.

Daphne quickly grabbed an apple and took a bite.

Once everyone was finished with their breakfast Dumbledore stood up. "Now that everyone who hadn't been here for the whole reading has caught up we can continue with the fourth book on Harry Potter's life. For those who have noticed we have three new guests joining us. They attended the reading to catch up and they spent most of this morning reading up to chapter thirteen of the fourth book." He gestured to his right. "We are joined by Augusta Longbottom."

Most of the hall turned to Neville who turned red under all of the stares. He looked up at his grandmother who gave him a small almost unnoticeable smile but Neville was able to see it and it surprised him but he smiled back hesitantly.

Dumbledore then pointed to his left, Aberforth was sitting several seats away. "And we are also joined by Aberforth Dumbledore."

There was a shocked silence as everyone took in what Dumbledore said.

"He has a brother?" Several of the students asked in surprise.

After everyone took a few seconds for what he said to sink in whispers broke out like little fires all over the hall.

"May I have your attention please," Dumbledore said and the students quickly went silent. "And last but not least we have Horace Slughorn."

Sirius and Remus exchanged looks when they saw their old Potions professor.

"We will now be reading chapter fourteen." Dumbledore held up the book. "Who would like to read next?"

Ernie raised his hand from the Hufflepuff table. "I'll read headmaster."

Dumbledore smiled as he levitated the book to the fifth year.

While the book was floating towards Ernie Harry couldn't help but notice that Narcissa wasn't sitting next to Lucius. Lucius was sitting next to Fudge and Narcissa was several seats away sitting in between Slughorn and Snape. He looked at his godfather and noticed that he wasn't the only one who had spotted the change in the seating arrangements. He looked to Sirius' right where his cousin was sitting. Andromeda was looking up at the staff table with a thoughtful look on her face.

Once Ernie opened the book he began to read.


	16. The Unforgivable Curses

**"The Unforgivable Curses,"** Ernie read to the hall.

Every adult in the hall had some sort of reaction to the chapter title. Molly went wide eyed and clutched her pale husband's arm. Bill, Charlie and Percy exchanged worried looks as they wondered why that would be a chapter. The professors with the exception of Umbridge knew that Moody had showed the fourth years and above the Unforgivables and none of them were happy about it. Even Snape didn't approve of showing fourteen year olds the unforgivable curses. Andromeda didn't look much better than Molly as she grabbed Ted's hand. Sirius and Remus had both stiffened and turned worried looks onto Harry who seemed to be lost in thought.

Harry's mind went haywire when he heard the chapter title. He'd had every unforgivable cast on him at least once, and all of them attempted on him more than once. He could still recall how it felt to be under the imperius curse, how he wanted to just let the curse take its course but he had fought it. The curse made you feel so free but somewhere in his mind Harry had known that it wasn't right for someone to try controlling him so he used all of his will to break it. If he focused long enough he could remember just how it felt to be held under the cruciatus curse, how it felt like his entire body was on fire, burning from the inside out. He remembers screaming so loud that he thought his throat would bleed. Harry closed his eyes when he felt Hermione grab his free hand, and when he did he saw the green light of the killing curse flying towards him. His eyes snapped open and he looked at his best friends who were looking at him worriedly, he turned to Daphne and she was wearing the same expression.

"I'm fine," Harry told them quietly.

Umbridge and Lucius were the only two people in the Great Hall who weren't fazed by the chapter title. Lucius had cast all of the curses enough time that it was like second nature to him; one couldn't work for the Dark Lord and not be able to cast them. Umbridge however wasn't fazed because she thought the chapter title meant someone used them and she'd be able to send that person to Azkaban. She looked at the Gryffindor table and hoped that this chapter would show Harry doing something illegal.

**The next two days passed without great incident,**

"Peace won't last long with Harry around," Dean teased. He had seen Harry stiffened tightly at the chapter title, he thought it was because his parents had been killed with the killing curse. He wanted to take his friends mind off of it.

Harry's lips twitched and Hermione sent Dean a grateful look.

**unless you counted Neville melting his sixth cauldron in Potions.**

Neville blushed as snickers broke out around the hall.

"Don't worry Neville," Tonks told the embarrassed boy. "I melted more than that in my first two years alone."

Snape sneered; Nymphadora Tonks was always melting cauldrons.

"How did you become an auror if you suck at Potions?" Hermione asked, she knew that you needed Potions for that career.

"I managed to scrape an O on the OWL in order to make it into NEWT level," Tonks said with a shrug.

**Professor Snape, who seemed to have attained new levels of vindictiveness over the summer,**

Sirius glared at his old school enemy. "Is that even possible?"

"Yes." All of the fifth year male Gryffindors said.

All of the professors besides Umbridge gave Snape stern looks.

Slughorn shook his head, when he was the Potions master he tried to be fair to all of the students. He gave more attention to those he thought would go places, especially those in the Slug Club. But he never turned down a student's request for help and he wouldn't have put his students down.

**gave Neville detention, and Neville returned from it in a state of nervous collapse, having been made to disembowel a barrel full of horned toads.**

"Severus," McGonagall said in a warning tone.

"He melted a cauldron so I gave him a detention," Snape said in a silky tone. "That isn't against any school rules that I'm aware of."

"Well Severus," Augusta said in a clipped tone. "Maybe if you treated your students like human beings and actually taught them something they wouldn't melt cauldrons."

Snape turned to the older woman. "The way I run my classroom-"

"You don't run your classroom, you bully it," Augusta said looking at him fiercely. "I read how you treat your students and you're horrible, especially to my grandson and Mr. Potter. Don't think I won't be having words with you young man."

Snape glowered at the woman but said nothing; he knew how Augusta Longbottom could be when angered. He wasn't fool enough to think that the woman didn't mean business; she wasn't considered a powerful witch for nothing. He wasn't scared of her but he wasn't going to start a fight in the middle of the great hall, especially not when Dumbledore was watching with a twinkle in his eyes.

Neville was looking at his grandma in shock. _'She stood up for me.'_ He felt warm as he watched her give Snape a look that would scare most adult wizards.

" **You know why Snape's in such a foul mood, don't you?" said Ron to Harry**

"He doesn't need a reason to be a git," Sirius said with a shrug. "He's been one his entire life."

"Sirius," Remus said with a sigh.

Snape glared at Sirius, he wanted to hex the mutt until he wasn't recognizable.

**as they watched Hermione teaching Neville a Scouring Charm to remove the toad guts from under his fingernails.**

"Thanks Hermione," Neville said. Hermione was always there when he needed her and he was grateful for that.

"Anytime Neville," Hermione said with a kind smile.

"I should learn that for after Herbology," Lavender said as she examined her nails. She hated getting dirt and other things under her nails after spending time in the greenhouses.

" **Yeah," said Harry. "Moody."**

**It was common knowledge that Snape really wanted the Dark Arts job, and he had now failed to get it for the fourth year running.**

"He's actually wanted it for more than four years," Sirius said with a smirk. "So it's more like fourteen years running by that time."

Snape's glare intensified. "Silence Black."

Sirius' smirk widened. "Did I hit a nerve Snape?"

"Sirius, Severus," McGonagall said warningly like she would to her students.

**Snape had disliked all of their previous Dark Arts teachers, and shown it -**

"I don't blame him for hating Lockhart and Quirrell," Justin said. "Anyone would have."

A few girls glared at Justin, they had liked Lockhart before they found out he was a fraud. A few other girls were blushing; they couldn't believe they liked a liar like Lockhart.

"Professor Lupin was amazing thought," Colin said earnestly. "I don't know how someone couldn't like him."

Snape looked like he had swallowed a sour lemon.

Remus blushed. "Thank you Colin." He never failed to be amazed that almost everyone in the hall seemed to look past his condition.

**but he seemed strangely wary of displaying overt animosity to Mad-Eye Moody.**

Moody made a face that looked like a smirk, it might not have been him but he never liked Snape. Any discomfort the man felt was okay in his book, he just wished it had really been him that caused it.

**Indeed, whenever Harry saw the two of them together - at mealtimes, or when they passed in the corridors - he had the distinct impression that Snape was avoiding Moody's eye, whether magical or normal.**

_'He's too observant for his own good.'_ Snape thought bitterly.

Moody's magical eye spun around until it landed on Snape.

" **I reckon Snape's a bit scared of him, you know," Harry said thoughtfully.**

Snape scowled, he wasn't scared of Alastor Moody.

"Who isn't," a first year mumbled when she looked at his scarred face.

" **Imagine if Moody turned Snape into a horned toad," said Ron, his eyes misting over, "and bounced him all around his dungeon…"**

The hall laughed at the mental image causing Snape to glare fiercely.

"That would be hilarious," Sirius said with mirth. "I would pay to see that."

"The amazing bouncing toad," Lee said in his announcer's voice.

"Enough," Snape snapped when he couldn't stand looking at Sirius' amused face any longer.

The students quietened down and a few first years flinched at the deadly look on the Potions master's face.

**The Gryffindor fourth years were looking forward to Moody's first lesson so much that they arrived early on Thursday lunchtime and queued up outside his classroom before the bell had even rung.**

"Looking forward to a class," Fred gasped in mock horror.

George looked like he was going to be sick. "What's wrong with all of you?"

Hermione rolled her eyes at the twins' antics while others snickered.

**The only person missing was Hermione, who turned up just in time for the lesson.**

"Hermione was almost late for a class?" Fred asked, genuinely surprised.

"Ron wanting to go to class, and Hermione arriving just on time," George said.

"The world is coming to an end," Fred said solemnly.

"She was probably in the library," Alicia said giving the twins an exasperated look.

" **Been in the -"**

" **Library." Harry finished her sentence for her.**

Harry grinned innocently at Hermione who looked slightly amused.

" **C'mon, quick, or we won't get decent seats."**

"Oh, shut up," Ron said when the twins went to open their mouths.

"Everyone was excited for Moody's first lesson," Dean said.

Seamus nodded in agreement. "Everyone had told us how great his classes were."

Moody grunted; he had the feeling that the chapter title had something to do with Harry's first lesson.

**They hurried into three chairs right in front of the teacher's desk, took out their copies of** _**The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection** _ **, and waited, unusually quiet.**

George and Fred burst into fake tears.

Molly had enough. "Quiet you two."

**Soon they heard Moody's distinctive clunking footsteps coming down the corridor, and he entered the room, looking as strange and frightening as ever. They could just see his clawed, wooden foot protruding from underneath his robes.**

"I couldn't," Dean said. "You must've been paying close attention."

"Harry always notices the little things," Hermione said.

"You'd make a good auror," Moody said as he pulled out his flask.

Umbridge looked like she had been slapped, it annoyed her more each time someone told Harry he'd make a good auror.

" **You can put those away," he growled, stumping over to his desk and sitting down, "those books. You won't need them."**

Umbridge looked disapproving; she knew this wouldn't be a ministry approved lesson.

"I love practical lessons," Dean said grinning.

"You learn so much more when you actually practice the magic," Seamus said looking at Umbridge.

Umbridge's disapproving look turned into a scowl. _'They don't work for the ministry; they don't know what they need.'_

**They returned the books to their bags, Ron looking excited.**

**Moody took out a register, shook his long mane of grizzled grey hair out of his twisted and scarred face, and began to call out names, his normal eye moving steadily down the list while his magical eye swiveled around, fixing upon each student as he or she answered.**

"That isn't creepy at all," Justin muttered. He always got creeped out when that eye landed on him.

Moody's magical eye was spinning around taking in everyone's expressions.

**"Right then," he said, when the last person had declared themselves present, "I've had a letter from Professor Lupin about this class. Seems you've had a pretty thorough grounding in tackling Dark creatures - you've covered boggarts, Red Caps, hinkypunks, grindylows, Kappas, and werewolves, is that right?"**

"That was good of you to send a letter," Kingsley said approvingly. "That way he knows what he needs to teach."

"I didn't want the students learning to suffer," Remus told the auror.

Amelia smiled and wrote something down; she thought that Remus had made an excellent teacher.

**There was a general murmur of assent.**

" **But you're behind - very behind - on dealing with curses," said Moody. "So I'm here to bring you up to scratch on what wizards can do to each other.**

"It's no wonder they're behind with the teachers they had," Tonks said.

Molly sighed, she knew that children had to learn about curses but she hated that children had to be exposed to that. She thought that children should stay young and innocent; she didn't want them to know what bad people were capable of.

Moody was tightly holding his flask. _'He's one to talk about what wizards can do to one another.'_

**I've got one year to teach you how to deal with Dark -"**

"Why only one year?" A first year asked. "What if he had wanted to stay?"

Dumbledore answered. "I only asked him to come for one year as a favor."

"Oh," the first year said. She wanted to ask why he asked him to come but she decided not to when Moody's magical eye landed on her.

" **What, aren't you staying?" Ron blurted out.**

**Moody's magical eye spun around to stare at Ron; Ron looked extremely apprehensive, but after a moment Moody smiled - the first time Harry had seen him do so.**

Several of the students grimaced, his smiles were creepy.

"He doesn't smile much," Tonks said cheekily. She knew that the man wasn't really Moody and she was angry that the man had locked her mentor in his own trunk. But she wanted to keep from getting too mad so she's trying to act normal.

"I don't have much to smile at, I'm too busy dealing with fools all day," Moody grunted.

Tonks' hair turned red at the jab before it turned once more into purple. "You know you love me."

Moody shook his head and took a gulp from his flask while Tonks smiled.

**The effect was to make his heavily scarred face look more twisted and contorted than ever, but it was nevertheless good to know that he ever did anything as friendly as smile.**

"Mad-Eye isn't evil," Tonks said frowning.

"I know that," Harry said sheepishly. "I just meant it was surprising, he doesn't really seem the type."

**Ron looked deeply relieved.**

" **You'll be Arthur Weasley's son, eh?" Moody said. "Your father got me out of a very tight corner a few days ago… Yeah, I'm staying just the one year. Special favor to Dumbledore…**

Dumbledore looked tired. _'I should've known.'_

Arthur looked guilty. _'If I would've got there just a few minutes earlier I might have seen Barty Crouch Jr.'_ He looked at Harry. _'It would've saved everyone a lot of trouble.'_

Molly guessed what her husband was thinking and she leaned her head on his shoulder and whisper into his ear. "You couldn't have known."

**One year, and then back to my quiet retirement."**

Tonks snorted, she knew that the real Moody would never be okay with a quiet retirement.

"He doesn't seem the quiet retirement type to me," Harper said quietly to Malcolm.

Malcolm Baddock said quietly back. "My father says that Moody is obsessed with catching Dark Wizards, he's the one who put my uncle away for being a death eater." He didn't hold a grudge, he had never met his uncle and his father and he hadn't been close. "So his idea of quiet retirement probably isn't the same as ours."

**He gave a harsh laugh, and then clapped his gnarled hands together.**

" **So - straight into it. Curses. They come in many strengths and forms. Now, according to the Ministry of Magic, I'm supposed to teach you counter-curses and leave it at that.**

"The theory of how they work would suffice," Umbridge said as though what she said was law.

"Theory?" Moody barked. "What good is theory going to do in the real world when they're attacked? You can't fight if you don't know how too, and you can't expect them to get the counter-curse right on their first try."

"Attacked?" Umbridge asked sweetly. "Why would children be attacked?"

"Have you not been listening?" Moody said, his magical eye focused intently on the Defense professor. "Potter has been attacked multiple times since his first year. And with Voldemort back no one will be safe."

Umbridge's face turned red and blotchy. "Mr. Potter being attacked is his own fault." There were looks of outrage and hatred at her words. "And You-Know-Who is not back! We have not read of him being resurrected because that is impossible!"

"How was Potter being attacked his own fault?" Moody demanded. "Did he ask for Voldemort to come after him? Voldemort was on the back of Quirrell's head, that's proof enough that he's still alive."

"You are delusional," Umbridge said causing Tonks to narrow her eyes. "You see dark wizards everywhere which is why you are no longer on the auror force."

"That's enough," Amelia said in a commanding voice. "Dolores watch what you say, Alastor is correct now be quiet."

There were many smirks at the Gryffindor table as Umbridge glared at Moody who didn't look fazed.

"I like her," Ron said in regards to Amelia.

**I'm not supposed to show you what illegal Dark curses look like until you're in the sixth year. You're not supposed to be old enough to deal with it till then.**

_'Too bad I didn't get a choice.'_ Harry thought before adding. _'As usual.'_

"They shouldn't be shown until they're older," Molly said. She didn't want her young children to see those types of curses.

Arthur shook his head. "Now isn't the time Molly."

**But Professor Dumbledore's got a higher opinion of your nerves, he reckons you can cope, and I say, the sooner you know what you're up against, the better. How are you supposed to defend yourself against something you've never seen?**

Moody scowled, this man did a good job of impersonating him. At the Gryffindor table Tonks was thinking the same thing.

"He's correct," Rufus said. "You can't defend yourself against something without knowing what it is."

Umbridge wanted to say something but Rufus was the head of the auror office so she stayed quiet.

**A wizard who's about to put an illegal curse on you isn't going to tell you what he's about to do.**

"No, they won't," Harry said dryly.

Harry was sent worried looks by his friends.

Daphne wrapped one of her arms around his waist and leaned her head on his shoulder. He subconsciously snaked one of his arms around her waist in return.

Hermione was still holding Harry's hand and she squeezed it in comfort.

**He's not going to do it nice and polite to your face.**

Harry snorted as he tried to imagine Voldemort giving him a warning before shooting a killing curse.

"Yeah, I don't think old snake face would give someone a warning," Fred said seriously.

A few people looked shocked that he would call Voldemort that, most of them were too scared too.

**You need to be prepared. You need to be alert and watchful.**

"CONSTANT VIGILANCE!" Moody barked. He still wanted to tear Crouch Jr limb from limb but he couldn't deny that what he was saying was the truth. _'He must've studied me quite a bit beforehand.'_

**You need to put that away, Miss Brown, when I'm talking."**

Lavender blushed, at the time she hadn't known his magical eye could see through things.

Hermione rolled her eyes; Lavender and Parvati were always talking during class.

**Lavender jumped and blushed. She had been showing Parvati her completed horoscope under the desk. Apparently Moody's magical eye could see through solid wood, as well as out of the back of his head.**

A first year Hufflepuff shivered. "So creepy."

"That really would be useful," Justin mused.

"Too bad you'd need to lose your real eye in order to get one," Ernie said dryly.

" **So… do any of you know which curses are most heavily punished by wizarding law?"**

"The Unforgivables." Several people answered.

"They should be heavily punished," Andromeda said. "To use those curses on a living person is despicable."

For a fleeting moment Narcissa wanted to smile but she didn't. She however could still remember like it was yesterday her sister saying the same thing when they were younger, she even used the same tone.

**Several hands rose tentatively into the air, including Ron's and Hermione's. Moody pointed at Ron, though his magical eye was still fixed on Lavender.**

Lavender blushed, that caused her to never not pay attention in his class. She didn't like that eye watching her, it felt uncomfortable.

" **Er," said Ron tentatively, "my dad told me about one… Is it called the Imperius Curse, or something?"**

Voldemort's words were forcefully brought to the front of Harry's mind. _'I asked you whether you wanted me to do that again. Imperio!'_

"Are you okay?" Harry heard a worried voice ask. He pulled out of his thoughts and saw that Daphne was now sitting up and looking at him.

Harry attempted to smile but it came out as more of a grimace. "I'm fine."

"No you aren't," Daphne said quietly. She wanted him to get out of the habit of not telling people when something was wrong. "No one will think you're weak for admitting you aren't okay."

Harry nodded tightly; he just didn't want to admit that Voldemort had used the unforgivables on him in the graveyard. No one except for Dumbledore and Sirius new what exactly had happened that night. He hadn't wanted to see Hermione cry or Ron look horrified if he were to tell them that he had been held under the cruciatus curse or that Voldemort tried to control him via the imperius curse. He had hoped that they would never find out but he knew that because of these books they would.

" **Ah, yes," said Moody appreciatively. "Your father** _ **would**_ **know that one. Gave the Ministry a lot of trouble at one time, the Imperius Curse."**

"Like death eaters claiming to have been put under it," Harry said looking at Lucius.

"Prominent ministry workers had been placed under the curse," Umbridge sniffed.

Harry rolled his eyes. "Im sure they were."

Lucius was having trouble not glaring at Harry, but he was more worried about coming up with an excuse when they read about Voldemort's rebirth. There was no way he would go willingly to Azkaban, but he had the feeling that bribery wouldn't work this time.

**Moody got heavily to his mismatched feet, opened his desk drawer, and took out a glass jar. Three large black spiders were scuttling around inside it.**

Ron shuddered slightly at the memory. After seeing Aragog and his family in his second year his fear of spiders intensified tenfold.

Fred shifted guiltily when he saw the look on his younger brother's face.

**Harry felt Ron recoil slightly next to him - Ron hated spiders.**

"Wimp," Pansy said not bothering to keep her voice down.

"Like you wouldn't hate spiders after being attacked by hundreds of ten feet tall acromantula," Astoria snapped. She hated the older girl; she thought she was nothing more than an arrogant bully who needed to be knocked down fifty pegs.

Pansy sneered. "Still, they're only little spiders."

"You're such a bitch," Astoria said simply causing several Gryffindors to snicker.

"Miss Greengrass, language," McGonagall reprimanded.

"Yes professor," Astoria said as she coldly looked at a glaring Pansy.

"I like your sister," Ron said to Daphne.

Daphne smiled but it fell when she saw the look Pansy was sending to the third year Slytherin. _'Parkinson better not try anything.'_

**Moody reached into the jar, caught one of the spiders, and held it in the palm of his hand so that they could all see it.**

Harry looked down at the table, he knew what was about to happen.

Those who knew what was coming looked like they wanted this part to be over with quickly.

**He then pointed his wand at it and muttered, "** _**Imperio!** _ **"**

Harry didn't realize that his grip on Hermione's hand and the one on Daphne's waist had tightened. Both girls gave him confused and worried looks, neither knowing that the imperious curse had been used on him with the exception of in class.

The younger students who hadn't seen the unforgivables in class gasped.

"Can he do that?" Asked a wide eyed first year.

Umbridge smiled twistedly and she picked up her quill but before she began to write her smile turned into a scowl. _'Cornelius informed me that Moody had really been an impostor and that Crouch Jr had been kissed.'_ She angrily sat her quill down.

Molly made and angry noise in the back of her throat. She had been informed of that lesson and she had not been happy about it.

"They were shown the unforgivables?" Andromeda asked incredulously. "Surely they're too young to witness them?"

Dumbledore ran a hand down his long beard. "They needed to know what they would be up against. Alastor asked me if he could show the fourth years and above the unforgivable curses and I told him that it would be fine."

**The spider leapt from Moody's hand on a fine thread of silk and began to swing backward and forward as though on a trapeze. It stretched out its legs rigidly, then did a back flip, breaking the thread and landing on the desk, where it began to cartwheel in circles. Moody jerked his wand, and the spider rose onto two of its hind legs and went into what was unmistakably a tap dance.**

The younger students laughed and giggled at the image.

"That's funny," said a first year whose hair was in pigtails.

The older students and the adults had stoic expressions on their faces; they knew that it wasn't funny at all.

Harry was trying to push Voldemort's taunting voice out of his head. _'Answer me! Imperio!'_ He could hear death eaters laughing and feel the spell hitting him, trying to get him to relinquish control.

**Everyone was laughing - everyone except Moody.**

" **Think it's funny, do you?" he growled. "You'd like it, would you, if I did it to you?"**

The younger students instantly stopped laughing.

Harry shook his head imperceptibly. _'No.'_ He looked at his friends, he never wanted them to know what it was like for an enemy to use that curse on them.

**The laughter died away almost instantly.**

"It's not a laughing matter," Rufus said.

"Total control," Harry said quietly so only Hermione and Daphne heard him.

Harry's best friend and girlfriend exchanged worried looks.

" **Total control," said Moody quietly as the spider balled itself up and began to roll over and over. "I could make it jump out of the window, drown itself, throw itself down one of your throats…"**

A collective shudder went around the hall.

"I couldn't imagine," Laura said shaking her head.

"That would be so horrible," Su Li said quietly to herself.

"Why would anyone do that?" Rose asked in a small voice. "Would someone really make another person kill themselves?"

The adults exchanged grim looks, the children shouldn't be thinking of things like that.

**Ron gave an involuntary shudder.**

" **Years back, there were a lot of witches and wizards being controlled by the Imperius Curse," said Moody, and Harry knew he was talking about the days in which Voldemort had been all-powerful. "Some job for the Ministry, trying to sort out who was being forced to act, and who was acting of their own free will.**

"It was difficult," Rufus said knowingly. "There really had been witches and wizards being placed under the curse. They were forced to get information or even work against their friends and family."

"When Voldemort fell," Kingsley continued for his boss. "Those that were captured and accused of being death eaters claimed to have been put under the spell. Of course when Voldemort fell most of the imperiused people came too, but a few didn't. It was difficult trying to find out who had been working for Voldemort of their own free will and who had been forced too."

**The Imperius Curse can be fought, and I'll be teaching you how, but it takes real strength of character, and not everyone's got it.**

"Most people can't," Amelia said. "It takes someone with a lot of power and will to break through it. However the more times they do, it becomes easier to break."

Those in Harry's Defense class looked at him; he had broken through Moody's imperius curse.

**Better avoid being hit with it if you can. CONSTANT VIGILANCE!" he barked, and everyone jumped.**

Moody growled; he didn't want that scum saying that.

**Moody picked up the somersaulting spider and threw it back into the jar.**

" **Anyone else know one? Another illegal curse?"**

**Hermione's hand flew into the air again and so, to Harry's slight surprise, did Neville's.**

Neville remembered what was coming next and he paled.

Augusta's eyes snapped over to her grandson, she knew which curse he would say.

**The only class in which Neville usually volunteered information was Herbology which was easily his best subject.**

Sprout smiled, he was the best student she had ever taught in the subject.

Augusta knew her grandson loved Herbology, over the summer he would spend most of his time in their greenhouse.

**Neville looked surprised at his own daring.**

Pansy sneered but didn't say anything. _'He is such a baby.'_

" **Yes?" said Moody, his magical eye rolling right over to fix on Neville.**

" **There's one - the Cruciatus Curse," said Neville in a small but distinct voice.**

Harry's face was blank but inwardly he was cringing. He hoped that they got over this part quickly.

Neville paled if possible even further, he didn't want to listen to this.

Augusta knew what they would soon be reading and she sent a glare towards Moody. She didn't want her grandson to see the curse that ruined their lives.

**Moody was looking very intently at Neville, this time with both eyes.**

Harry wanted to tear something apart; he didn't think Barty Crouch Jr had the right to even breathe the same air as Neville. His stomach clenched as he realized that during this book he would find out that the man who had tortured his parents into insanity had been teaching them for a year.

" **Your name's Longbottom?" he said, his magical eye swooping down to check the register again.**

Moody growled; he knew why Crouch Jr would be asking that.

**Neville nodded nervously, but Moody made no further inquiries. Turning back to the class at large, he reached into the jar for the next spider and placed it upon the desktop, where it remained motionless, apparently too scared to move.**

Neville shuddered; he thought the spider had a good reason to be scared.

 _'I don't blame it.'_ Harry thought.

" **The Cruciatus Curse," said Moody. "Needs to be a bit bigger for you to get the idea," he said, pointing his wand at the spider. "** _ **Engorgio!**_ **"**

Ron grimaced. "He made it bigger," he muttered.

"They don't need to see this," Molly said closing her eyes. She never wanted any of her children to witness that curse being performed.

**The spider swelled. It was now larger than a tarantula. Abandoning all pretense, Ron pushed his chair backward, as far away from Moody's desk as possible.**

"I don't blame you," Parvati said. "It was awful."

**Moody raised his wand again, pointed it at the spider, and muttered, "** _**Crucio!** _ **"**

Harry tried not to show an outward reaction but his stomach churned unpleasantly. He could feel a ghost of the pain he had felt all those months ago in the graveyard. He tried to push the laughing of the death eaters from his mind and the way he could taste his own blood as he rolled around on the ground.

**At once, the spider's legs bent in upon its body; it rolled over and began to twitch horribly, rocking from side to side.**

Harry felt like his skin was on fire as he tried to focus on anything other than the words being read out loud.

The younger students were staring wide eyed at the book.

Molly's head was buried in Arthur's shoulder and Fleur was gripping Bill's hand as tightly as she could.

**No sound came from it, but Harry was sure that if it could have given voice, it would have been screaming.**

Harry's teeth clenched together, he felt like knives were stabbing every inch of his body.

A few of the first years looked like they were going to burst into tears.

Neville was staring at the book with a pained expression and his fists were clenched.

Augusta was staring at her grandson trying not to let her worry show. She knew that witnessing that wouldn't have been easy for him.

**Moody did not remove his wand, and the spider started to shudder and jerk more violently**

Harry closed his eyes but quickly opened them when the graveyard swam to the front of his mind. _'Don't think about that, you're in the Great Hall and you're fine.'_

Rose whimpered. "Stop it."

**\- "Stop it!" Hermione said shrilly.**

Hermione looked at Neville worriedly, his jaw was set and she could tell his teeth were clenched.

"Yes, please stop," a second year said faintly.

The adults didn't look approving of Moody's actions.

**Harry looked around at her. She was looking, not at the spider, but at Neville, and Harry, following her gaze, saw that Neville's hands were clenched upon the desk in front of him, his knuckles white, his eyes wide and horrified.**

Neville was on the receiving end of curious and worried looks.

Luna who was sitting next to Neville put one of her small hands on his arm. "It's okay Neville."

Neville blinked before looking at Luna and nodding tightly.

**Moody raised his wand. The spider's legs relaxed, but it continued to twitch.**

Harry grimaced as he remembered twitching after being held under the curse. No matter how hard he tried his body wouldn't stop. It had felt like he was a marionette and someone else was pulling the strings.

" _ **Reducio**_ **," Moody muttered, and the spider shrank back to its proper size. He put it back into the jar.**

Hagrid looked as if he felt bad for the spider.

"Animal cruelty," Charlie said angrily under his breath.

" **Pain," said Moody softly. "You don't need thumbscrews or knives to torture someone if you can perform the Cruciatus Curse…**

"Nothing is more painful than the cruciatus curse," Rufus said knowingly. He had been put under the curse once before during the first war, and he wouldn't wish that much pain on anyone.

Harry looked down; he never wanted to feel the pain of that curse again. And he hoped with all of his heart that his friends never had it cast upon them.

**That one was very popular once too.**

Around the hall students shivered at the thought of being placed under that curse.

"Why would anyone do that to someone?" A first year said in a strangled voice.

"Because some people find it fun," Sirius said darkly. He knew that his cousin Bellatrix enjoyed using that curse on people.

"Fun?" The same first year exclaimed. "Th-that's horrible!"

**Right… anyone know any others?"**

**Harry looked around. From the looks on everyone's faces, he guessed they were all wondering what was going to happen to the last spider. Hermione's hand shook slightly as, for the third time, she raised it into the air.**

"Don't say it," Hannah said quietly. She didn't want to read about it being used even if it was only on a spider.

"Avada Kedavra," Terry said under his breath.

" **Yes?" said Moody, looking at her.**

" _ **Avada Kedavra**_ **," Hermione whispered.**

Almost all of the adults' in the room's faces darkened at the mention of the killing curse.

Molly was pale. "Children shouldn't see that," she said into her husband's shoulder.

Arthur wrapped an arm around his wife. "I know Molly, I know."

Harry's grip on Hermione's hand tightened and he pulled Daphne so close to him that she was almost on his lap. He hadn't known he had done it until he felt Daphne's head rest on his shoulder.

**Several people looked uneasily around at her, including Ron.**

" **Ah," said Moody, another slight smile twisting his lopsided mouth.**

Looks of disbelief crossed several of the students' faces.

"That's nothing to smile about," Emma said feeling sick.

A little first year with long black hair buried her head in her older brother's shoulder. "I don't wanna hear it." He wrapped an arm around his younger sister.

**"Yes, the last and worst.** _**Avada Kedavra** _ **… the Killing Curse."**

**He put his hand into the glass jar, and almost as though it knew what was coming, the third spider scuttled frantically around the bottom of the jar, trying to evade Moody's fingers,**

Harry tried not to let flash backs over take him as the book was read. He knew what was about to happen, he knew what two little words would be read followed by the description of how the life left a spider that second before had been scuttling around.

**but he trapped it, and placed it upon the desktop. It started to scuttle frantically across the wooden surface.**

**Moody raised his wand, and Harry felt a sudden thrill of foreboding.**

"You weren't the only one," Dean said quietly.

" _ **Avada Kedavra!**_ **" Moody roared.**

In his mind Harry saw a green light shooting towards him, he heard the words the way Voldemort had said them in the graveyard.

**There was a flash of blinding green light and a rushing sound, as though a vast, invisible something was soaring through the air - instantaneously the spider rolled over onto its back, unmarked, but unmistakably dead.**

Harry stiffened at the description; he still had dreams about his parents getting hit with that curse. He'd been dreaming of them getting hit with the killing curse ever since he saw them in the Mirror of Erised. And he didn't want to admit it but ever since Voldemort's return he'd been dreaming about his friends dying the same way. He saw Ron falling to the ground like a rag doll, Hermione being hit with the curse square in the chest and the light leaving Sirius' eyes as the green light ended his life.

He heard a quiet hiss and quickly turned to Hermione. "What's wrong?"

"My hand," Hermione said looking down at their intertwined hands.

Harry could see that his own hand was white from squeezing Hermione's now red hand so tightly. He quickly pulled his hand away as though he had been burnt.

"I'm sorry," Harry said quickly. "I didn't-"

"It's okay," Hermione said quickly as she laid her hand on his shoulder. "It's okay Harry."

Harry still looked apologetic so Hermione gave him a small smile. "Really."

Harry nodded slowly not quite sure if she was really okay or not, he looked down at her hand and saw that she was now rubbing it. He frowned; he really hadn't meant to squeeze her hand so hard, he had actually forgotten he was even holding it.

**Several of the students stifled cries; Ron had thrown himself backward and almost toppled off his seat as the spider skidded toward him.** **Moody swept the dead spider off the desk onto the floor.**

" **Not nice," he said calmly. "Not pleasant. And there's no counter-curse. There's no blocking it. Only one known person has ever survived it, and he's sitting right in front of me."**

Everyone in the hall turned as one to look at Harry.

Harry quickly looked down at the table when he noticed that everyone was looking at him.

"I still want to know how he survived," Cormac said under his breath.

Hermione, the Weasley children and Daphne glared at everyone until they stopped staring.

**Harry felt his face redden as Moody's eyes (both of them) looked into his own. He could feel everyone else looking around at him too.**

Everyone who had been in that class looked sheepish.

Dean rubbed the back of his neck. "Sorry about that mate."

Harry waved his apology off; he was used to it by now. It annoyed him but he didn't think it was worth it to get mad over it.

**Harry stared at the blank blackboard as though fascinated by it, but not really seeing it at all…So that was how his parents had died… exactly like that spider.**

The hall became tense and awkward, everyone felt like they shouldn't be hearing this.

Harry didn't realize that he had rested his head on Daphne's head that was on his shoulder and was staring blankly up at the ceiling. He watched the clouds swirling in the enchanted ceiling above without really seeing it. He also didn't realize that now both of Daphne's arms were wrapped around him or that Hermione had took his hand once more. Ron was reaching around Hermione, his hand was resting on his best friends shoulder, but Harry's mind was such a whirl of different emotions that he couldn't even feel it.

Sirius and Remus both froze as those lines were read out.

Sirius felt as though all of the oxygen had been sucked out of the room. If you looked at his face you would think he had been slapped. He had thought about his best friends and Lily's death since the day it happened. He had twelve years in Azkaban to dwell on it. But to hear it in his godson's thoughts was like being stabbed repeatedly in the heart. He knew that James and Lily wouldn't have wanted Harry to think about it and especially not dwell on it. His godson had been through so much pain, he didn't need any more and all thinking about it was going to do was cause him pain.

Remus didn't want Harry to think about his parents' deaths. He didn't want the young teen to picture it in his mind or compare their deaths to that of a spider. He shouldn't have to think of those things at his age, he should be thinking about girls and quidditch. He hated Barty Crouch Jr more than ever for subjecting Harry to that.

Neville was one of the few people not sending Harry a sympathetic look, by now he knew that Harry hated when people looked at him that way. He also knew that if everyone knew about his parents he wouldn't want them to look at him that way. Instead Neville looked at the Weasley's who all looked sad for the boy they considered to be their family.

Dumbledore's eyes lost their twinkle and he looked at Harry, he hadn't actually looked at him in days. He never wanted Harry to have to feel bad but it was necessary that the boy know what he was up against.

Snape was staring emotionlessly at the goblet in front of him. He didn't want the death of the one woman he loved to be compared to that of a spider. He didn't want to picture Lily's death and he didn't want to hear about it again.

**Had they been unblemished and unmarked too?**

Unbidden in Sirius mind came an image, the image of his best friend lying on the ground. James Potter has been laying on the ground right in front of the front door; he didn't even have his wand on him. Sirius shook the image away; he didn't want to think about that. And he didn't want to think about how he found Lily laying in front of Harry's crib; eyes wide open in fear as Harry cried.

**Had they simply seen the flash of green light and heard the rush of speeding death, before life was wiped from their bodies?**

"Stop thinking about that," Hannah pleaded.

A small first year buried her head in her arms.

**Harry had been picturing his parents' deaths over and over again for three years now, ever since he'd found out they had been murdered, ever since he'd found out what had happened that night:**

"I can't imagine picturing something so awful," Susan choked out.

"Don't picture that Harry," Remus said solemnly. "James and Lily wouldn't want that."

Harry hadn't heard anything Remus said, he was too busy trying to push the image of his mother pleading for his life from his mind.

**Wormtail had betrayed his parents' whereabouts to Voldemort, who had come to find them at their cottage.**

Sirius growled and his hands balled into fists. He wanted to strangle himself for ever suggesting using the rat at the seeker keeper, Peter's animagus form should've been a warning to them all.

"Bastard," Ron snarled under his breath.

**How Voldemort had killed Harry's father first. How James Potter had tried to hold him off, while he shouted at his wife to take Harry and run…**

"He loved you and Lily more than anything," Remus said quietly. He knew that James would've died one hundred times over before he allowed anything to happen to Harry.

"That's just like James," Sirius said so quietly that only Remus heard.

**Voldemort had advanced on Lily Potter, told her to move aside so that he could kill Harry… how she had begged him to kill her instead, refused to stop shielding her son…**

Snape gritted his teeth, he knew that if it wasn't for him that Voldemort never would've gone after Harry and Lily never would've died. He would hate himself until his dying day for being partially responsible for her death. He almost blamed Peter for betraying the Potter's and Voldemort for being the one to end her life even though he did give her a chance to move. A small part of him even blamed James Potter for not being able to protect Lily.

**and so Voldemort had murdered her too, before turning his wand on Harry.**

This time it was Hermione who tightened the grip as she pictured a wand being pointed at a one year old Harry.

Sirius tried to block out the reading but he couldn't. The last thing he wanted to imagine was Harry being killed.

**Harry knew these details because he had heard his parents' voices when he had fought the dementors last year - for that was the terrible power of the dementors: to force their victims to relive the worst memories of their lives, and drown, powerless, in their own despair.**

Sirius shuddered, remembering those terrible twelve years he spent in Azkaban.

Hagrid shuddered as well as he remembered the little time he spent at the island prison.

**Moody was speaking again, from a great distance, it seemed to Harry. With a massive effort, he pulled himself back to the present and listened to what Moody was saying.**

The Harry in the present was doing the same thing. He slowly moved his head so that it wasn't on Daphne's and he looked around the hall. Almost everyone was staring at them but when he looked at them they would quickly look away. He felt a surge of anger, he didn't want anyone's pity but he pushed the feeling down.

"Good," Andromeda said, relieved that he was moving on from his dark thoughts. "It wouldn't do to dwell on those sorts of thoughts."

**"Avada Kedavra's a curse that needs a powerful bit of magic behind it- you could all get your wands out now and point them at me and say the words, and I doubt I'd get so much as a nosebleed.**

"I still wouldn't try it," Kingsley said to the students. "But it does require a lot of power and intent. If you don't want to actually kill the person; then it won't work."

"How could you want to kill someone?" Orla quietly asked no one in particular.

**But that doesn't matter. I'm not here to teach you how to do it.**

_'That's a surprise.'_ Harry thought; he was sure that Barty Crouch Jr would've loved to have them practice the curses.

**Now, if there's no counter-curse, why am I showing you? Because you've got to know. You've got to appreciate what the worst is. You don't want to find yourself in a situation where you're facing it.**

"Which is why just reading from books won't help anyone," Moody said as both of his eyes landed on Umbridge.

Umbridge swelled like a bull frog. "No one is going to attack children."

Harry rolled his eyes; he wondered if she really believed the stuff she said.

Umbridge continued. "As I said before, learning the theory will suffice to get children through their exams. After all, that is what school is all about."

"They won't live long enough to take their exams if they can't defend themselves," Moody barked.

Some of the younger students paled and exchanged worried looks.

"Alastor!" McGonagall, Sprout, Pomfrey and Molly yelled.

"There's no point in treating them like they're toddlers," Moody said as his magical eye spun around. "They need to know what they're up against."

"Please just continue reading," McGonagall said to Ernie.

**CONSTANT VIGILANCE!" he roared, and the whole class jumped again.**

Tonks hated to admit it but Barty Crouch Jr did a good job of pretending to be Moody.

Grudgingly Moody was thinking the same thing; it was a thought that did nothing to help his mood.

**"Now… those three curses - Avada Kedavra, Imperius, and Cruciatus - are known as the Unforgivable Curses.**

Molly pursed her lips. "They're unforgivable for a reason." She added quietly, "Which is why they shouldn't be shown to children."

**The use of any one of them on a fellow human being is enough to earn a life sentence in Azkaban.**

"I wonder why he didn't get into trouble," Dean said quietly to Seamus. After all he used them on all of the fourth years and up.

"Probably because of Dumbledore," Seamus guessed.

**That's what you're up against. That's what I've got to teach you to fight. You need preparing.**

Sirius nodded in agreement, he thought that they needed to learn to defend themselves. It was why he agreed with the Defense group that Harry, Hermione and Ron formed.

**You need arming. But most of all, you need to practice** _**constant, never-ceasing vigilance** _ **.**

Tonks nodded, the real Moody had said the same thing to her during her auror training. _'Barty Crouch Jr did his homework.'_ She thought with a glance up at her mentor.

Kingsley and Rufus nodded in agreement, those were words to live by.

**Get out your quills… copy this down…"**

**They spent the rest of the lesson taking notes on each of the Unforgivable Curses. No one spoke until the bell rang - but when Moody had dismissed them and they had left the classroom, a torrent of talk burst forth. Most people were discussing the curses in awed voices – "Did you see it twitch?" "- and when he killed it – just like that!"**

The adults frowned; they didn't want the students thinking those curses were cool.

Dean winced, he sounded like he thought the curses were fascinating which they definitely weren't.

"There is nothing good about those curses," McGonagall said with pursed lips.

"That's another reason why young students shouldn't be shown the unforgivables," Andromeda said with a quick shake of her head. "They glamorize them into something that they aren't."

"The cruciatus causes a person to twitch because they are in excruciating pain," Rufus said to the students. "It burns at your insides and causing you to feel as though you are being stabbed over and over on every inch of your body. It's more pain than you can imagine times twenty. After the curse is stopped you still twitch because your muscles are in agony. It's nothing to think of lightly."

The students looked sick at the description and no one wanted to ask how he knew that.

Harry looked up at the head of the auror office. _'He's been under the curse.'_

**They were talking about the lesson, Harry thought, as though it had been some sort of spectacular show, but he hadn't found it very entertaining**

A few people sent Harry apologetic looks but he ignored them.

"It wasn't entertaining at all," Hermione said in a stiff voice.

**\- and nor, it seemed, had Hermione.**

" **Hurry up," she said tensely to Harry and Ron.**

" **Not the ruddy library again?" said Ron.**

"I hope not," George said seriously.

"Honestly," Hermione said as she rolled her eyes.

" **No," said Hermione curtly, pointing up a side passage. "Neville."**

**Neville was standing alone, halfway up the passage, staring at the stone wall opposite him with the same horrified, wide-eyed look he had worn when Moody had demonstrated the Cruciatus Curse.**

Molly looked sadly at Neville; she knew what had happened to Frank and Alice Longbottom.

Augusta was wearing a slight frown. She knew that her grandson wouldn't have been happy to see the curse that ruined his life used in front of him.

McGonagall wore an agitated expression as she looked at the book. She knew her students would have to eventually learn of the unforgivables but they shouldn't have at fourteen.

" **Neville?" Hermione said gently.**

**Neville looked around.**

" **Oh hello," he said, his voice much higher than usual. "Interesting lesson, wasn't it?**

Harry wanted to give Neville a sympathetic look but he didn't think the boy would want his pity.

Neville's hands were still balled into fists. Luna placed one of her small hands over his fist causing his head to snap up and look at her. She gave him one of her dreamy smiles and for some reason it caused some of the tension to leave him and his fists slowly unclenched.

Harry looked at the pair, he was glad that someone was comforting his friend.

**I wonder what's for dinner, I'm - I'm starving, aren't you?"**

Neville was sent confused and worried looks, no one but the adults and Harry knew why the lesson had affected him.

Neville looked down when he saw all of the looks; he didn't want or need their pity.

Harry glared at those who were looking at Neville and they quickly looked away. He didn't want Neville to be any more uncomfortable than he already was.

Augusta wanted to say something to comfort her grandson but she didn't because she knew it'd embarrass him. She wished Neville hadn't had to live knowing what the cruciatus curse could do first hand. She would she could go back in time and stop the Lestranges and Barty Crouch Jr from torturing Frank and Alice into insanity but she couldn't.

" **Neville, are you all right?" said Hermione.**

" **Oh yes, I'm fine," Neville gabbled in the same unnaturally high voice. "Very interesting dinner - I mean lesson - what's for eating?"**

"He's not fine," Susan said frowning. She was wondering why Neville was acting so weird, no one else had been that bothered by the lesson.

Dean and Seamus exchanged confused looks; they didn't know why their dorm-mate and friend was acting like that.

**Ron gave Harry a startled look.**

" **Neville, what -?"**

**But an odd clunking noise sounded behind them, and they turned to see Professor Moody limping toward them. All four of them fell silent, watching him apprehensively, but when he spoke, it was in a much lower and gentler growl than they had yet heard.**

Harry had to stop himself from growling. _'How dare Barty Crouch Jr talk to Neville! He's responsible for Neville's sorrow in the first place.'_

Up at the staff table those who knew that Moody had been an impostor were thinking the same thing.

" **It's all right, sonny," he said to Neville. "Why don't you come up to my office? Come on… we can have a cup of tea…"**

**Neville looked even more frightened at the prospect of tea with Moody.**

"I don't blame you," Sally-Anne said quietly. The ex auror frightened her at the best of times.

"I don't think that will make Neville feel any better," Hannah said quietly.

**He neither moved nor spoke. Moody turned his magical eye upon Harry.**

" **You all right, are you, Potter?"**

" **Yes," said Harry, almost defiantly.**

Ron snorted. "Harry's always fine."

Hermione sighed. "Harry, you really need to let people help you."

"I know Hermione," Harry told her before saying quietly. "But now that I know who he really was I'm glad I didn't."

Hermione had to admit that he had a point, but she didn't want that to stop him from seeking help in the future.

**Moody's blue eye quivered slightly in its socket as it surveyed Harry. Then he said, "You've got to know. It seems harsh, maybe,** _**but you've got to know** _ **. No point pretending…**

Harry hated himself for thinking it, but he knew that the impostor was right. He hated when the adults around him sugar-coated the situation in an effort to protect him, it never helped him in the end.

Moody's magical eye swiveled. _'Bloody death eater's right.'_ His blue eye landed on Albus. _'He needs to tell the boy the truth.'_

**well… come on, Longbottom, I've got some books that might interest you."**

**Neville looked pleadingly at Harry, Ron, and Hermione, but they didn't say anything, so Neville had no choice but to allow himself to be steered away, one of Moody's gnarled hands on his shoulder.**

"Sorry Neville," Hermione told him. Knowing what she knew now about him being an impostor she felt bad.

"It's fine," Neville said quietly.

" **What was that about?" said Ron, watching Neville and Moody turn the corner.**

" **I don't know," said Hermione, looking pensive.**

" **Some lesson, though, eh?" said Ron to Harry as they set off for the Great Hall. "Fred and George were right, weren't they?**

The twins smirked. "So you admit we were right?"

Ron rolled his eyes. "Just that once."

**He really knows his stuff, Moody, doesn't he?**

"Of course he does," Tonks said cheerfully.

Moody narrowed both of his eyes on her and growled causing her to wave at him happily.

"You know that Moody was an impostor that year," Sirius said quietly into Tonks' ear.

"I know," Tonks told him just as quiet. "But I don't want to draw attention to that fact."

**When he did** _**Avada Kedavra** _ **, the way that spider just** _**died** _ **, just snuffed it right -"**

Almost everyone in the hall turned to stare at a beat red Ron in disbelief.

"Ronald Weasley!" Molly yelled. "Harry's parents died because of that spell! How could you be so careless?"

"Seriously Ron?" Charlie said incredulously at the same time.

"Tact Ronald, tact," Hermione said both annoyed and exasperated.

McGonagall was pinching the bridge of her nose while Snape was sneering.

Zacharias rolled his eyes. _'What an idiot.'_

"Ron!" Ginny had gasped as soon as the sentence was read.

"It's fine!" Harry shouted over the noise of everyone talking at once. "This was over a year ago; I know that he didn't mean it so just drop it. Please."

Everyone stopped talking but Molly was still looking at her son with a red face and a disapproving look.

**But Ron fell suddenly silent at the look on Harry's face and didn't speak again until they reached the Great Hall,**

Ginny rolled her eyes, her brother really needed to learn to show tact.

Ron flushed as looks continued to be sent his way; he couldn't believe those words left his mouth.

**when he said he supposed they had better make a start on Professor Trelawney's predictions tonight, since they would take hours.**

"Boring," Dean said with a fake yawn.

Lavender huffed; she hated how almost everyone put down Divination.

**Hermione did not join in with Harry and Ron's conversation during dinner, but ate furiously fast, and then left for the library again.**

"Seriously?" George said groaning.

"What can you possibly be doing in there?" Fred asked in exasperation.

Harry and Ron exchanged looks as they tried not to groan.

**Harry and Ron walked back to Gryffindor Tower, and Harry, who had been thinking of nothing else all through dinner, now raised the subject of the Unforgivable Curses himself.**

" **Wouldn't Moody and Dumbledore be in trouble with the Ministry if they knew we'd seen the curses?" Harry asked as they approached the Fat Lady.**

"Yes," Umbridge said haughtily.

Harry rolled his eyes; Barty Crouch Jr isn't alive anymore so they'd have a hell of a time attempting to punish him.

"Dolores," Fudge hissed quietly. He had already told his Undersecretary that Moody had been an impostor, there was no need to bring up things Crouch Jr had done.

Umbridge flushed, she wanted somebody to be punished and every time she tried someone shot her down. _'There's something in these books that will cause Potter or Dumbledore to get punished. There has to be.'_

" **Yeah, probably," said Ron. "But Dumbledore's always done things his way, hasn't he,**

Umbridge narrowed her eyes; she thought Dumbledore had got away with everything for far too long.

**and Moody's been getting in trouble for years, I reckon. Attacks first and asks questions later - look at his dustbins.**

Moody barked, "CONSTANT VIGILANCE."

 _'Crazy old man.'_ Umbridge thought.

"I reckon it has helped to keep him alive," Dean said to Seamus.

"What?" Seamus asked his best friend who he hadn't heard over Moody's yelling.

Dean shook his head. "Never mind."

**Balderdash."**

**The Fat Lady swung forward to reveal the entrance hole, and they climbed into the Gryffindor common room, which was crowded and noisy.**

A few Slytherins sneered; of course the Gryffindor common room was noisy.

"Is your common room ever quiet?" Daphne asked with a raised eyebrow.

"No." Several Gryffindors said at once.

" **Shall we get our Divination stuff, then?" said Harry.**

" **I s'pose," Ron groaned.**

Seamus groaned. "I don't want to hear about Divination."

"Neither do I," Ron muttered.

**They went up to the dormitory to fetch their books and charts, to find Neville there alone, sitting on his bed, reading. He looked a good deal calmer than at the end of Moody's lesson, though still not entirely normal. His eyes were rather red.**

Neville looked down as he felt a small amount of shame was over him.

"There's nothing wrong with crying Neville," Luna said quietly, her voice still had a misty quality to it.

Neville gave the blonde a small smile.

" **You all right, Neville?" Harry asked him.**

" **Oh yes," said Neville, "I'm fine, thanks. Just reading this book Professor Moody lent me…"**

**He held up the book:** _**Magical Water Plants of the Mediterranean** _ **.**

Harry narrowed his eyes at the mention of the book, knowing now that it wasn't a coincidence. He really wasn't looking forward to Neville finding that out.

" **Apparently, Professor Sprout told Professor Moody I'm really good at Herbology," Neville said.** **There was a faint note of pride in his voice that Harry had rarely heard there before.**

Sprout smiled. "You're very good at Herbology."

Neville blushed and smiled at the Herbology professor.

Augusta smiled, however it was so small that no one noticed it. She was glad that her grandson excelled in something even if it wasn't a subject she would choose for him. She always wanted him to do well in Potions or Transfiguration. However she couldn't deny that she was proud he was so good at the subject.

" **He thought I'd like this."**

 _'More like he wanted you to help me with the second task.'_ Harry thought bitterly.

**Telling Neville what Professor Sprout had said, Harry thought, had been a very tactful way of cheering Neville up, for Neville very rarely heard that he was good at anything.**

"That doesn't mean you aren't good at things," Harry said quickly. He didn't want his friend to misconstrue his words. "You're brilliant at plenty of things, and you're really improving in Defense."

"He's right Neville," Hermione said seriously.

The other members of the DA nodded in agreement causing Neville to blush.

"It's because of Harry," Neville said quickly.

Harry shook his head. "You're the one doing the work, don't sell yourself short."

Augusta watched her grandson as Harry spoke to him, she could see that her grandson admired the boy. She was glad he had someone to help him.

Umbridge narrowed her eyes. _'How is Potter helping him?'_ A smile spread across her face. _'I knew there would be something in here to get him into trouble.'_

**It was the sort of thing Professor Lupin would have done.**

"It's true," Neville said quietly but firm.

Remus blushed while Sirius clapped him on the back.

**Harry and Ron took their copies of** _**Unfogging the Future** _ **back down to the common room, found a table, and set to work on their predictions for the coming month.**

"I foresee that you will eat a lot of treacle tart," George said in a spooky voice.

"I foresee that you will die of boredom," Fred said waving his fingers in front of his face.

"You will also get into an altercation with a ferret," Lee added causing some of the students to snicker or snort.

Draco glared at the quidditch announcer while Narcissa frowned.

"That's enough," McGonagall said sternly.

**An hour later, they had made very little progress, though their table was littered with bits of parchment bearing sums and symbols, and Harry's brain was as fogged as though it had been filled with the fumes from Professor Trelawney's fire.**

"I know what you mean mate," Dean said. "I never know what to put on those charts."

"I just make it up," Seamus said with a shrug.

The adults frowned; they didn't like the idea of students just guessing. Trelawney looked scandalized as she frowned at the Irish boy.

" **I haven't got a clue what this lot's supposed to mean," he said, staring down at a long list of calculations.**

" **You know," said Ron, whose hair was on end because of all the times he had run his fingers through it in frustration, "I think it's back to the old Divination standby."**

" **What - make it up?"**

Snorts rang around the hall.

Molly frowned. "Ronald Weasley, you shouldn't guess on your school work."

"It's Divination," Ron said stubbornly.

"That doesn't matter," Molly said pursing her lips.

"Molly," Arthur said breaking up the conversation. "Unless someone is a true seer all they could do is make it up."

Molly deflated slightly, what her husband said was the truth.

"Which is why the subject is pointless," Lisa said under her breath. She thought that only those with the gift of being a seer should be able to take the class, if not it was just a waste of time.

" **Yeah," said Ron, sweeping the jumble of scrawled notes off the table, dipping his pen into some ink, and starting to write.**

"This should be interesting," Charlie said amused.

Harry and Ron exchanged smirks as they recalled some of the things they wrote.

" **Next Monday," he said as he scribbled, "I am likely to develop a cough, owing to the unlucky conjunction of Mars and Jupiter."**

Several people snorted.

Hermione rolled her eyes; Divination was the one subject she wouldn't scold at them for guessing.

**He looked up at Harry. "You know her - just put in loads of misery, she'll lap it up."**

Dean and Seamus grinned.

"That's true," Dean said. "The more gruesome the better."

McGonagall, Sprout, Pomfrey, Molly and Andromeda frowned.

 _'That woman needs to be fired.'_ Umbridge thought.

" **Right," said Harry, crumpling up his first attempt and lobbing it over the heads of a group of chattering first years into the fire.**

" **Okay… on Monday,** _ **I**_ **will be in danger of- er - burns."**

" **Yeah, you will be," said Ron darkly, "we're seeing the skrewts again on Monday.**

"That's actually believable," Bill said trying not to let his mother see his amusement.

"All those skrewts do is burn," Dean groaned.

"No," Seamus said with a smirk. "They also sting."

Dean snorted. "Yeah, that's much better."

**Okay, Tuesday,** _**I'll** _ **… erm…"**

" **Lose a treasured possession," said Harry, who was flicking through** _ **Unfogging the Future**_ **for ideas.**

" **Good one," said Ron, copying it down. "Because of… erm… Mercury. Why don't you get stabbed in the back by someone you thought was a friend?"**

Ron grimaced; he didn't think he would ever forgive himself for not betraying Harry.

" **Yeah… cool…" said Harry, scribbling it down, "because… Venus is in the twelfth house."**

" **And on Wednesday, I think I'll come off worst in a fight."**

Harry's head snapped to look at the book. _'Danger of burns...I faced a dragon. Lose a treasure possession...the second task I lost Ron. Stabbed in the back by someone I thought was a friend...Ron ditched me after my name came out of the goblet. Come off worse in a fight...I almost died facing Voldemort.'_ He grimaced at how accurate their fake predictions had been.

Hermione had the same thoughts as Harry. _'Whenever those two joke it tends to come true.'_

" **Aaah, I was going to have a fight. Okay, I'll lose a bet."**

" **Yeah, you'll be betting I'll win my fight…"**

The students snickered.

"Those are interesting predictions," Bill said shaking his head.

**They continued to make up predictions (which grew steadily more tragic)**

"Of course they did," Sirius snorted. He thought Divination was pointless so he found the whole thing amusing.

**for another hour, while the common room around them slowly emptied as people went up to bed. Crookshanks wandered over to them, leapt lightly into an empty chair, and stared inscrutably at Harry, rather as Hermione might look if she knew they weren't doing their homework properly.**

The twins and Lee snickered.

"It's weird how much Crookshanks is like Hermione," Ron said.

Hermione glared at Ron.

"Ron's right Hermione," Harry told her. "He acts quite like you most of the time."

**Staring around the room, trying to think of a kind of misfortune he hadn't yet used, Harry saw Fred and George sitting together against the opposite wall, heads together, quills out, poring over a single piece of parchment.**

Fred and George looked at Harry who shrugged; he couldn't help it that he was observant.

Molly narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "What are you two doing?"

"I forget," Fred said too quickly for it to be believable.

Molly's eyes narrowed further.

**It was most unusual to see Fred and George hidden away in a corner and working silently; they usually liked to be in the thick of things and the noisy centre of attention. There was something secretive about the way they were working on the piece of parchment, and Harry was reminded of how they had sat together writing something back at the Burrow.**

"You're way too observant," George said shaking his head.

"I can't help it," Harry said.

"You'd make a damn fine auror," Moody said again.

"Language," McGonagall said in a tone she would if she were speaking to a naughty first year.

**He had thought then that it was another order form for Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes, but it didn't look like that this time; if it had been, they would surely have let Lee Jordan in on the joke.**

"That's true," Alicia said slowly.

"What were you two up to?" Angelina asked as she eyed the twins.

The twins didn't answer which made everyone in the hall suspicious.

**He wondered whether it had anything to do with entering the Triwizard Tournament.**

"It better not," Molly said in a much too calm voice.

**As Harry watched, George shook his head at Fred, scratched out something with his quill, and said, in a very quiet voice that nevertheless carried across the almost deserted room, "No - that sounds like we're accusing him. Got to be careful…"**

The twins were on the receiving end of suspicious looks from all five tables.

"What-?" Molly began but Arthur shook his head.

"I'm sure we'll find out," Arthur told his wife.

**Then George looked over and saw Harry watching him. Harry grinned and quickly returned to his predictions - he didn't want George to think he was eavesdropping.**

"I should've known you were," George said.

Harry grinned at the red headed prankster.

**Shortly after that, the twins rolled up their parchment, said good night, and went off to bed. Fred and George had been gone ten minutes or so when the portrait hole opened and Hermione climbed into the common room carrying a sheaf of parchment in one hand and a box whose contents rattled as she walked in the other.**

Ron groaned. "Here we go."

Several people were wondering what he was talking about but decided not to ask.

**Crookshanks arched his back, purring.**

" **Hello," she said, "I've just finished!"**

" **So have I!" said Ron triumphantly, throwing down his quill.**

**Hermione sat down, laid the things she was carrying in an empty armchair, and pulled Ron's predictions toward her.**

" **Not going to have a very good month, are you?" she said sardonically as Crookshanks curled up in her lap.**

A few people snorted while Hermione shook her head.

"I'm surprised Hermione isn't yelling at them," Lee said.

"It's Divination," Ron said waving his hand. "She doesn't care about that class."

Hermione didn't bother to deny Ron's words.

" **Ah well, at least I'm forewarned," Ron yawned.**

The Great Hall broke into snickers and amused looks.

" **You seem to be drowning twice," said Hermione.**

The twins snorted.

Harry glanced at Ron. _'Ron had been taken into the Black Lake._ ' He shook his head, he was over thinking things.

" **Oh am I?" said Ron, peering down at his predictions. "I'd better change one of them to getting trampled by a rampaging hippogriff."**

The Great Hall broke into snickers again while Trelawney looked at Ron indignantly.

Harry chuckled as he pictured Buckbeak chasing after the red head.

" **Don't you think it's a bit obvious you've made these up?" said Hermione.**

"No." All of the fifth year Gryffindor boys said.

Lavender and Parvati glared at the five boys but they didn't care.

" **How dare you!" said Ron, in mock outrage. "We've been working like house-elves here!"**

Harry felt like face palming, Ron should've known not to say that.

"You didn't just say that in front of Hermione," Charlie said in slight exasperation.

Ron blushed and mumbled something unintelligible under his breath.

**Hermione raised her eyebrows.**

" **It's just an expression," said Ron hastily.**

**Harry laid down his quill too, having just finished predicting his own death by decapitation.**

"Trelawney probably loved that," Dean said seriously.

Almost every adult was frowning while Trelawney made an annoyed sound in the back of her throat.

" **What's in the box?" he asked, pointing at it.**

" **Funny you should ask," said Hermione, with a nasty look at Ron. She took off the lid and showed them the contents. Inside were about fifty badges, all of different colors, but all bearing the same letters: S.P.E.W.**

Everyone who had heard of SPEW had to resist the urge to groan, a few people however didn't bother to resist.

Zacharias rolled his eyes; he had turned down Hermione's request when she asked him to join.

"That's what you've been doing in the library isn't it?" Susan questioned.

Hermione nodded.

" **Spew?" said Harry, picking up a badge and looking at it. "What's this about?"**

" **Not** _ **spew**_ **," said Hermione impatiently. "It's S-P-E-W. Stands for the Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare."**

"So basically it's SPEW," Zacharias said. "S-P-E-W spells SPEW."

Hermione glared at the Hufflepuff.

" **Never heard of it," said Ron.**

" **Well, of course you haven't," said Hermione briskly, "I've only just started it."**

" **Yeah?" said Ron in mild surprise. "How many members have you got?"**

" **Well - if you two join - three," said Hermione.**

Theo looked at the Gryffindor table. "I'm sure they want to walk around with badges that say SPEW."

Hermione switched her glare from the Hufflepuff table to the Slytherin one.

" **And you think we want to walk around wearing badges saying 'spew,' do you?" said Ron.**

Theo gestured his head towards the book. "My point."

" **S-P-E-W!" said Hermione hotly.**

"Touchy," Draco drawled.

**"I was going to put Stop the Outrageous Abuse of Our Fellow Magical Creatures and Campaign for a Change in Their Legal Status - but it wouldn't fit. So that's the heading of our manifesto."**

"Wow," Melinda said. "That's..." She shook her head; she didn't know how to describe that.

"Mental," Zacharias muttered under his breath.

"You should've gone with that," Pansy said mockingly. "It's not as bad as SPEW."

"Shut up," Ron snapped at the pug faced girl.

**She brandished the sheaf of parchment at them.**

" **I've been researching it thoroughly in the library. Elf enslavement goes back centuries. I can't believe no one's done anything about it before now."**

"Because the house elves like it," Kingsley said gently.

Hermione nodded stiffly.

" **Hermione - open your ears," said Ron loudly. "They. Like. It. They** _ **like**_ **being enslaved!"**

" **Our short-term aims," said Hermione, speaking even more loudly than Ron, and acting as though she hadn't heard a word,**

"Like usual," Ron muttered feeling slightly annoyed.

" **are to secure house-elves fair wages and working conditions. Our long-term aims include changing the law about non-wand use, and trying to get an elf into the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures, because they're shockingly underrepresented."**

Several people rolled their eyes; they didn't think that would ever happen.

"They don't have any representation," Remus said sadly.

"Well they should," Hermione huffed.

" **And how do we do all this?" Harry asked.**

" **We start by recruiting members," said Hermione happily. "I thought two Sickles to join - that buys a badge - and the proceeds can fund our leaflet campaign. You're treasurer, Ron - I've got you a collecting tin upstairs - and Harry, you're secretary, so you might want to write down everything I'm saying now, as a record of our first meeting."**

"You could've asked them first," Cormac said.

Hermione blushed; she had just assumed they'd do it. It was eye opening to see herself from someone else's point of view. She never realized just how bossy she could still be.

**There was a pause in which Hermione beamed at the pair of them, and Harry sat, torn between exasperation at Hermione and amusement at the look on Ron's face.**

"I wanted to laugh at the look on Ron's face," said an amused Harry.

"I couldn't believe what she was saying," Ron muttered.

**The silence was broken, not by Ron, who in any case looked as though he was temporarily dumbstruck, but by a soft** _**tap, tap** _ **on the window. Harry looked across the now empty common room and saw, illuminated by the moonlight, a snowy owl perched on the windowsill.**

"That must be Sirius' reply," Susan guessed.

Sirius smiled, Harry would finally get his letter.

" **Hedwig!" he shouted, and he launched himself out of his chair and across the room to pull open the window.**

**Hedwig flew inside, soared across the room, and landed on the table on top of Harry's predictions.**

"Even Hedwig thinks Divination is a waste," Seamus said lowly to Dean who snorted.

"I wonder what Sirius is going to say?" Mandy mused. She hoped that Sirius had some words of comfort for Harry.

" **About time!" said Harry, hurrying after her.**

" **She's got an answer!" said Ron excitedly, pointing at the grubby piece of parchment tied to Hedwig's leg.**

**Harry hastily untied it and sat down to read, whereupon Hedwig fluttered onto his knee, hooting softly.**

" **What does it say?" Hermione asked breathlessly.**

**The letter was very short, and looked as though it had been scrawled in a great hurry.**

"It was," Sirius told him. "You had me extremely worried."

"It's weird to see you being responsible," Andromeda told her cousin.

"I had to grow up sometime," Sirius told her.

Snape sneered, Sirius Black hadn't nor would he ever grow up.

**Harry read it aloud:**

_**Harry -** _

_**I** _ **'** _**m flying north immediately.** _

Harry glared at his godfather, he still wasn't happy that Sirius had come.

"What?" Sirius asked confused.

"You shouldn't have come," Harry told him hotly. "If you would've been caught you would've received the kiss."

"But I didn't," Sirius reminded him.

"But you could've," Harry told him. "And I would've forever blamed myself."

Sirius cringed, he hadn't thought about how Harry would blame himself if he had been caught. "I'm sorry pup; I just wanted to be near you. I wanted to be there to protect you if you needed me."

"Just don't do anything reckless again," Harry told him and Sirius nodded.

Snape's sneer deepened.

_**This news about your scar is the latest in a series of strange rumors that have reached me here. If it hurts again, go straight to Dumbledore - they** _ **'** _**re saying he** _ **'** _**s got Mad-Eye out of retirement, which means he** _ **'** _**s reading the signs, even if no one else is.** _

"What signs?" Hannah asked.

The Order members and the trio exchanged looks.

No one answered the Hufflepuff so Ernie kept reading.

_**I** _ **'** _**ll be in touch soon. My best to Ron and Hermione. Keep your eyes open, Harry.** _

_**Sirius** _

"Somehow I don't think that's going to make him feel better," Mandy said to her friends quietly.

**Harry looked up at Ron and Hermione, who stared back at him.**

" **He's flying north?" Hermione whispered. "He's coming back?"**

" **Dumbledore's reading what signs?" said Ron, looking perplexed.**

"The signs that Voldemort is coming back," Harry answered all the curious looks. He knew that Hannah or someone else would ask again so he took pity on them.

"Oh," Hannah said quietly.

Umbridge glared at Harry. _'Apparently all of his detentions didn't stop his need to lie.'_

" **Harry - what's up?"**

**For Harry had just hit himself in the forehead with his fist, jolting Hedwig out of his lap.**

" **I shouldn't've told him!" Harry said furiously.**

Sirius shook his head. "I'm glad you told me, I'm supposed to be there for you."

"I just don't want anything to happen to you," Harry told him. He would've never forgiven himself if Sirius had been captured.

"I know," Sirius said with a small smile.

" **What are you on about?" said Ron in surprise.**

" **It's made him think he's got to come back!" said Harry, now slamming his fist on the table so that Hedwig landed on the back of Ron's chair, hooting indignantly.**

Harry sighed; he hadn't meant to hurt Hedwig's feelings.

" **Coming back, because he thinks I'm in trouble!**

"You were in trouble," Hermione said quietly.

**And there's nothing wrong with me! And I haven't got anything for you," Harry snapped at Hedwig, who was clicking her beak expectantly, "you'll have to go up to the Owlery if you want food."**

"Hedwig won't like that," Ron said.

"I know," Harry sighed again. He had felt bad for yelling at Hedwig, he had just been so angry and worried.

**Hedwig gave him an extremely offended look and took off for the open window, cuffing him around the head with her outstretched wing as she went.**

The twins snickered as they pictured Hedwig cuffing Harry on the head.

"I like that owl," Justin said grinning.

"She really is one of a kind," Charlie said.

" **Harry," Hermione began, in a pacifying sort of voice.**

" **I'm going to bed," said Harry shortly. "See you in the morning."**

Sirius grimaced; he didn't know he had made Harry so angry.

"Sorry Hermione, Ron," Harry told them. He didn't like taking out his frustration on his friends.

"It's fine." They both assured him.

 **Upstairs in the dormitory he pulled on his pajamas and got into his four-poster, but he didn't feel remotely tired.** **If Sirius came back and got caught, it would be his, Harry's, fault.**

"No it would've had," Sirius told him. "I'm an adult; I came back because I wanted too."

Harry nodded stiffly, that didn't mean he wouldn't have blamed himself.

**Why hadn't he kept his mouth shut? A few seconds' pain and he'd had to blab…**

"Even just a few seconds of pain is something to worry about," Sirius said.

"I know," Harry told him. These days it meant that Voldemort was having some sort of temper tantrum.

**If he'd just had the sense to keep it to himself.**

Daphne squeezed his hand and leaned towards his ear. "Don't keep everything bottled up."

**He heard Ron come up into the dormitory a short while later, but did not speak to him. For a long time,**

Ron looked at Harry, he hated when Harry wouldn't tell him what was wrong.

**Harry lay staring up at the dark canopy of his bed. The dormitory was completely silent, and, had he been less preoccupied, Harry would have realized that the absence of Neville's usual snores meant that he was not the only one lying awake.**

Augusta sent her grandson a worried look; she didn't like how much seeing the cruciatus curse had affected him.

Molly frowned, that was why those curses shouldn't have been shown to fourteen year olds.

Neville closed his eyes, he remembered that night clearly. He had stayed up all night thinking about his parents and that cursed, he ended up not going to sleep at all.

"That's the end of the chapter," Ernie said looking up from the book.

Justin took the book from his best friend's hands as he spoke. "I'll read next."


	17. Beauxbatons and Durmstrang

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay, chapters are now coming out fresh so updates will be slower as I like to make sure chapters are perfect, so please enjoy and I will try to get chapters out as fast as possible

'Beauxbatons and Durmstrang,' read out Justin,

**Early next morning, Harry woke with a plan fully formed in his mind, as though his sleeping brain had been working on it all night.**

Half the hall groaned,

'What's wrong with my plans?' Harry demanded in mock indignation.

'They usually turn out better when you're under pressure,' said Hermione gently. 'The books have proved that.'

Harry just scowled at the table,

**He got up, dressed in the pale dawn light, left the dormitory without waking Ron,**

'You could probably have a party and Ron wouldn't wake up,' snickered Seamus.

“Hey,” protested Ron,

“It’s true mate” grinned Harry

Ron mock scowled at the pair of them,

**and went back down to the deserted common room. Here he took a piece of parchment from the table upon which his Divination homework still lay**

“You shouldn’t leave your homework lying around,” scolded Molly lightly “It could get lost or damaged”

Ron and Harry exchanged looks, with Divination that would be a good thing,

**and wrote the following letter:**

**_Dear Sirius,_ **

**_I reckon I just imagined my scar hurting,_ **

“Nice try kiddo” said Sirius sternly

**_I was half asleep when I wrote to you last time. There_ ** **' _s no point coming back, everything_ ' _s fine here. Don_ ' _t worry about me, my head feels completely normal._**

“Yeah, I was never going to believe that” said Sirius

Harry just sighed,

**_Harry_ **

**He then climbed out of the portrait hole, up through the silent castle (held up only briefly by Peeves, who tried to overturn a large vase on him halfway along the fourth-floor corridor),**

Filch scowled, at the mention of the poltergeist

**finally arriving at the Owlery, which was situated at the top of West Tower.**

**The Owlery was a circular stone room, rather cold and drafty, because none of the windows had glass in them.**

“I love the Owlery,” said Luna dreamily, Charlie looked like he agreed with her,

**The floor was entirely covered in straw, owl droppings, and the regurgitated skeletons of mice and voles.**

'All in all, a far more pleasant place than the Chamber of Secrets,' said Harry conversationally.

'How many places do you know that're worse than the Chamber?' Sirius asked, raising an eyebrow.

'Snape's office,' said Lee nonchalantly, ignoring the glare from said teacher,

'Umbridge's office,' Harry grimaced, thinking of his numerous detentions that year.

'Lockhart's office,' Ron said with a pronounced scowl.

**Hundreds upon hundreds of owls of every breed imaginable**

“It is quite amazing how many breeds of owl there are” said Hermione

The animal lovers nodded in agreement,”

**were nestled here on perches that rose right up to the top of the tower, nearly all of them asleep, though here and there a round amber eye glared at Harry. He spotted Hedwig nestled between a barn owl and a tawny, and hurried over to her, sliding a little on the dropping-strewn floor.**

Lavender wrinkled her nose but refrained from commenting.

**It took him a while to persuade her to wake up and then to look at him, as she kept shuffling around on her perch, showing him her tail. She was evidently still furious about his lack of gratitude the previous night.**

'Urgh, she's been spending too much time with you,' muttered Ron with a slight grimace, looking at Harry. 'You generally ignore us if you're furious. After you're done shouting.'

**In the end, it was Harry suggesting she might be too tired, and that perhaps he would ask Ron to borrow Pigwidgeon, that made her stick out her leg and allow him to tie the letter to it.**

'Pride,' said Charlie

" **Just find him, all right?" Harry said, stroking her back as he carried her on his arm to one of the holes in the wall. "Before the dementors do."**

'So optimistic,' said Hermione, shaking her head slowly.

**She nipped his finger, perhaps rather harder than she would ordinarily have done, but hooted softly in a reassuring sort of way all the same.**

“She really is one of a kind” commented Daphne,

“Yeah she really is,” replied Harry,

**Then she spread her wings and took off into the sunrise. Harry watched her fly out of sight with the familiar feeling of unease back in his stomach. He had been so sure that Sirius's reply would alleviate his worries rather than increasing them.**

'You should really start worrying about your neck than mine,' said Sirius, sighing as he shook his head, looking at Harry.

'To be fair, you had the entire Ministry of Magic after you, and the dementors,' Harry shrugged.

'You shouldn't be worrying about me, though! And besides, you already have a psychotic mass-murderer after your blood, so you need to worry about your own life.'

'Thanks for that,' Harry said sardonically.

Daphne and Hermione just sighed,

" **That was a _lie_ , Harry," said Hermione sharply over breakfast, when he told her and Ron what he had done. "You _didn't_ imagine your scar hurting and you know it."**

'Warning; lecture alert. Lecture alert. Lecture alert,' droned Nott in a bored voice, leaning heavily on his elbows on the wooden table. Zabini snickered.

" **So what?" said Harry. "He's not going back to Azkaban because of me."**

'I wouldn't have worried,' Sirius shrugged. 'I had no intention of going back there.'

" **Drop it," said Ron sharply to Hermione as she opened her mouth to argue some more, and for once, Hermione heeded him, and fell silent.**

Fred clapped a hand to his forehead in mock surprise, “Wow Ron and Hermione, didn’t argue” he said much to the amusement of the Gryffindors around him, whilst Hermione and Ron glared at him,

**Harry did his best not to worry about Sirius over the next couple of weeks.**

Sirius just sighed,

**True, he could not stop himself from looking anxiously around every morning when the post owls arrived, nor, late at night before he went to sleep, prevent himself from seeing horrible visions of Sirius, cornered by dementors down some dark London street,**

Sirius winced, he really needed to get Harry out of the habit of worrying about other people,

Harry grimaced; those were tame compared to the ones he had now

**but between times he tried to keep his mind off his godfather.**

“You really shouldn’t worry about me, I wasn’t going to let the ministry capture me,” said Sirius,

Harry just nodded but not answering his scar was beginning to prickle again,

**He wished he still had Quidditch to distract him; nothing worked so well on a troubled mind as a good, hard training session.**

“You’re beginning to channel Olivier” said Alicia amused

“That’s not a bad thing,” said Olivier earnestly and his old teammates shook their heads,

**On the other hand, their lessons were becoming more difficult and demanding than ever before, particularly Moody's Defence Against the Dark Arts.**

**To their surprise, Professor Moody had announced that he would be putting the Imperious Curse on each of them in turn, to demonstrate its power and to see whether they could resist its effects.**

Umbridge sat bolt upright,

The slightly better mood Harry had acquired since the last chapter evaporated at those words, and he stiffened.

" **But - but you said it's illegal, Professor," said Hermione uncertainly as Moody cleared away the desks with a sweep of his wand, leaving a large clear space in the middle of the room. "You said - to use it against another human was -"**

" **Dumbledore wants you taught what it feels like," said Moody,**

Umbridge smirked triumphantly and began scribbling on her clipboard,

'I don't know whether to scream in frustration at you, or to sigh in annoyance,' McGonagall growled at Dumbledore, who appeared to be resisting the urge to flinch under her glare.

'You don't have the Imperious Curse put on a class of fourth years on purpose,' Professor Sprout glared at the Headmaster.

'It's good that they were placed under it,' said Mad-Eye casually, leaning back in his chair and looking vaguely bored. 'No point in coddling them. They're going to find out eventually, anyway. The sooner they know, the sooner they can prepare for the oncoming storm.'

'They are _students_ , Alastor! Not some of your Aurors!' Molly argued, her eyes flashing.

Before Moody could respond, Harry spoke up “He’s right, it’s better to learn in a classroom where you can make mistakes and learn safely than experience it for the first time out in the field,”

Moody nodded his approval,

Harry could tell McGonagall and Mrs. Weasley were having hard time not strangling both Moody and Dumbledore so he motioned to Justin to keep reading,

**his magical eye swivelling onto Hermione and fixing her with an eerie, unblinking stare. "If you'd rather learn the hard way - when someone's putting it on you so they can control you completely -**

Mad-Eye growled, the imposter was right,

**fine by me. You're excused. Off you go." He pointed one gnarled finger toward the door.**

**Hermione went very pink and muttered something about not meaning that she wanted to leave.**

'Of course not,' Seamus grinned at her.

**Harry and Ron grinned at each other. They knew Hermione would rather eat bubotuber pus than miss such an important lesson.**

Hermione turned pink,

**Moody began to beckon students forward in turn and put the Imperius Curse upon them.**

**Harry watched as, one by one, his classmates did the most extraordinary things under its influence. Dean Thomas hopped three times around the room, singing the national anthem.**

'Such a brilliant singer, Dean,' Seamus laughed. Dean didn't even go red.

'I've always thought that as well,' he smirked at his best friend.

**Lavender Brown imitated a squirrel.**

Lavender blushed.

**Neville performed a series of quite astonishing gymnastics he would certainly not have been capable of in his normal state. Not one of them seemed to be able to fight off the curse, and each of them recovered only when Moody had removed it.**

" **Potter," Moody growled, "you next."**

Harry clenched his jaw and dug his nails into his palm again.

**Harry moved forward into the middle of the classroom, into the space that Moody had cleared of desks. Moody raised his wand, pointed it at Harry, and said, " _Imperio!_ "**

Harry tried not to flinch at the horrible reminder.

**It was the most wonderful feeling. Harry felt a floating sensation as every thought and worry in his head was wiped gently away, leaving nothing but a vague, untraceable happiness.**

He shook his head fervently. No, there was nothing happy about the feeling of thoughtlessness.

**He stood there feeling immensely relaxed, only dimly aware of everyone watching him.**

“That’s what make’s it so dangerous,” said Amelia

**And then he heard Mad-Eye Moody's voice, echoing in some distant chamber of his empty brain: _Jump onto the desk… jump onto the desk…_**

**Harry bent his knees obediently, preparing to spring.**

**_Jump onto the desk…_ **

**Why, though? Another voice had awoken in the back of his brain.**

All the adults’ bar Umbridge sat up in surprise,

Amelia looked at Harry appraisingly, whilst the rest of the hall looked surprised,

**Stupid thing to do, really, said the voice.**

Bit by bit the Aurors were looking more and more impressed,

**_Jump onto the desk…_ **

**No, I don't think I will, thanks, said the other voice, a little more firmly… no, I don't really want to.**

The twins and Lee were snickering.

'Ah, your inner self is amusing,' sniggered George.

**_Jump! NOW!_ **

**The next thing Harry felt was considerable pain.**

Pomfrey, Molly and McGonagall frowned, whilst the Aurors and even Fudge looked very impressed,

“Well Mr. Potter, it seems you have yet another ability, many of my Aurors lack,” said Amelia looking at him with an unreadable expression,

**He had both jumped and tried to prevent himself from jumping - the result was that he'd smashed headlong into the desk knocking it over, and, by the feeling in his legs, fractured both his kneecaps.**

“Ouch,” winced Ron,

Pomfrey frowned at the book,

" **Now, _that's_ more like it!" growled Moody's voice, and suddenly, Harry felt the empty, echoing feeling in his head disappear. He remembered exactly what was happening, and the pain in his knees seemed to double.**

Pomfrey’s frown deepened,

" **Look at that, you lot… Potter fought! He fought it, and he damn near beat it! We'll try that again, Potter,**

'Lucky he did, really,' Harry mused thoughtfully, more to himself than anyone.

Daphne, Ron and Hermione heard him and exchanged worried looks,

**and the rest of you, pay attention - watch his eyes, that's where you see it - very good, Potter, very good indeed! They'll have trouble controlling _you_!"**

_And he nearly lost his temper because of it_ , Harry thought in grim amusement.

" **The way he talks," Harry muttered as he hobbled out of the Defence Against the Dark Arts class an hour later (Moody had insisted on putting Harry through his paces four times in a row, until Harry could throw off the curse entirely),**

'It's better to have a bit of pain during the training, rather than go out during the actual fight,' growled Mad-Eye, ' _You need to know_! No point in coddling until it's too late to do anything to help you.'

'Alastor, if you could _kindly_ stop thinking of my students as soldiers,' McGonagall growled at the ex-Auror, glaring.

'As I've said before, they're all going to fight at some stage,' Mad-Eye barked. 'You wouldn't be doing them any favours in deluding them.'

Umbridge looked at the man _He’s deluded,_ wondering if there was a way to get him locked up at St. Mungo’s,

" **you'd think we were all going to be attacked any second."**

'Constant vigilance.'

" **Yeah, I know," said Ron, who was skipping on every alternate step.**

The twins couldn't help but snicker at the mental image of Ron skipping.

“Were you okay,” fussed Molly

“I was fine mum”,

**He had had much more difficulty with the curse than Harry, though Moody assured him the effects would wear off by lunchtime. "Talk about paranoid…" Ron glanced nervously over his shoulder to check that Moody was out of earshot and went on.**

'Talk about paranoid, Ron,' snickered George,

" **No wonder they were glad to get shot of him at the Ministry.**

“Ron,” admonished Molly,

“Sorry,” muttered Ron to Moody who didn’t look bothered,

**Did you hear him telling Seamus what he did to that witch who shouted 'Boo' behind him on April Fools' Day?**

The Ministry officials winced, that was messy,

Moody just shrugged,

**And when are we supposed to read up on resisting the Imperious Curse with everything else, we've got to do?"**

“School is not supposed to be easy Ronald” said Hermione,

**All the fourth years had noticed a definite increase in the amount of work they were required to do this term.**

'That's _light_ compared to this year,' complained Ron quietly,

**Professor McGonagall explained why, when the class gave a particularly loud groan at the amount of Transfiguration homework she had assigned.**

“Good to see nothing’s changed,” grinned Sirius,

McGonagall simply raised an eyebrow at him,

" **You are now entering a most important phase of your magical education!" she told them, her eyes glinting dangerously behind her square spectacles.**

“Your father and I got that look a lot,” reminisced Sirius

McGonagall just shook her head, 

**"Your Ordinary Wizarding Levels are drawing closer—"**

" **We don't take O.W.L.s till fifth year!" said Dean Thomas indignantly.**

Seamus high-fived Dean, smirking.

" **Maybe not, Thomas, but believe me, you need all the preparation you can get! Miss Granger remains the only person in this class who has managed to turn a hedgehog into a satisfactory pincushion.**

Dean blushed slightly,

**I might remind you that _your_ pincushion, Thomas, still curls up in fright if anyone approaches it with a pin!"**

'Poor cushion,' Luna commented absent-mindedly.

**Hermione, who had turned rather pink again, seemed to be trying not to look too pleased with herself.**

Hermione blushed.

**Harry and Ron were deeply amused when Professor Trelawney told them that they had received top marks for their homework in their next Divination class.**

Harry and Ron started snickering at the memory.

'Ah, one of the only times we've ever gotten top marks,' Ron sniggered loudly.

'Never to happen again!' Harry finished dramatically, putting a hand over his heart.

The Gyffindors sniggered whilst Remus and Sirius looked pleased that Harry seemed to be cheering up,

**She read out large portions of their predictions, commending them for their unflinching acceptance of the horrors in store for them**

'Well, I have to accept my fate of being trampled by hippogriffs,' Ron sighed heavily.

'And I must accept mine; the fact that I will be burned,' Harry mused quietly. Sarcasm laced both of their voices.

Daphne just shook her head, turning to her boyfriend “Try to avoid any tragic fates, please”

“I will try,” said Harry

**\- but they were less amused when she asked them to do the same thing for the month after next; both of them were running out of ideas for catastrophes.**

**Meanwhile Professor Binns, the ghost who taught History of Magic, had them writing weekly essays on the goblin rebellions of the eighteenth century.**

'God, that was horrible,' Seamus complained loudly.

“Get a new teacher,” hissed McGonagall at Dumbledore who nodded,

**Professor Snape was forcing them to research antidotes. They took this one seriously, as he had hinted that he might be poisoning one of them before Christmas to see if their antidote worked.**

'Severus!' McGonagall growled, glaring at Snape. 'You will _not_ be poisoning my students!'

'I didn't poison them,' said Snape shortly, feeling irritated. 'It was merely a motivation to get them to actually do the homework.'

'What happened to threatening with detentions, or is that _old school_?' Sprout asked lightly, raising an eyebrow.

'My way worked just fine,' said Snape, looking away from Sprout.

**Professor Flitwick had asked them to read three extra books in preparation for their lesson on Summoning Charms.**

'Which Hermione had done within a day,' Ron teased, grinning at Hermione who glared back at him,

**Even Hagrid was adding to their workload.**

¾ of the hall looked at Hagrid in shock,

'Hagrid?' Lee choked out, his eyes popping comically.

'G-Giving...' Fred started to say, but he trailed off in his apparent shock.

' _H-Homework_?' George swallowed loudly, looking like he might faint from shock.

**The Blast-Ended Skrewts were growing at a remarkable pace given that nobody had yet discovered what they ate.**

“Our fingers,” murmured Ron to Harry and Hermione,

**Hagrid was delighted, and as part of their "project," suggested that they come down to his hut on alternate evenings to observe the skrewts and make notes on their extraordinary behaviour.**

The Care of Magical Creatures group grimaced,

" **I will not," said Draco Malfoy flatly when Hagrid had proposed this with the air of Father Christmas pulling an extra-large toy out of his sack. "I see enough of these foul things during lessons, thanks."**

Narcissa frowned at her son’s words, she didn’t necessarily like the things Hagrid was teaching them, but she had raised her son to show respect to adults,

**Hagrid's smile faded off his face.**

" **Yeh'll do wha' yer told," he growled, "or I'll be takin' a leaf outta Professor Moody's book… I hear yeh made a good ferret, Malfoy."**

The Hall began snickering at the reminder of the ferret incident, and Malfoy tinged pink again, whilst Lucius sneered

**The Gryffindors roared with laughter. Malfoy flushed with anger, but apparently the memory of Moody's punishment was still sufficiently painful to stop him from retorting.**

'Oh look. A Malfoy keeping their mouth shut,' exclaimed Sirius with an air of shock.

Lucius and Draco glared at him, whilst Umbridge looked at him with disdain,

**Harry, Ron, and Hermione returned to the castle at the end of the lesson in high spirits; seeing Hagrid put down Malfoy was particularly satisfying, especially because Malfoy had done his very best to get Hagrid sacked the previous year.**

'Like the git that he is,' Anthony growled, sending a quick glare to Malfoy.

Fudge winced, yet another embarrassing incident,

**When they arrived in the entrance hall, they found themselves unable to proceed owing to the large crowd of students congregated there, all milling around a large sign that had been erected at the foot of the marble staircase. Ron, the tallest of the three, stood on tiptoe to see over the heads in front of them and read the sign aloud to the other two:**

**TRIWIZARD TOURNAMENT**

**THE DELEGATIONS FROM BEAUXBATONS AND DURMSTRANG WILL BE ARRIVING AT 6 O'CLOCK ON FRIDAY THE 30TH OF OCTOBER. LESSONS WILL END HALF AN HOUR EARLY –**

'That's a good thing,' Sirius grinned widely. 'Any excuse to get out of lesson early!'

" **Brilliant!" said Harry. "It's Potions last thing on Friday! Snape won't have time to poison us all!"**

'That makes it even better!'

**STUDENTS WILL RETURN THEIR BAGS AND BOOKS TO THEIR DORMITORIES AND ASSEMBLE IN FRONT OF THE CASTLE TO GREET OUR GUESTS BEFORE THE WELCOMING FEAST.**

'I believe you were supposed to look _presentable_ ,' McGonagall glared pointedly at the Gryffindors, who all appeared to be unconcerned.

" **Only a week away!" said Ernie Macmillan of Hufflepuff, emerging from the crowd, his eyes gleaming. "I wonder if Cedric knows? Think I'll go and tell him…"**

'He shouldn't have entered,' Harry murmured under his breath.

" **Cedric?" said Ron blankly as Ernie hurried off.**

" **Diggory," said Harry. "He must be entering the tournament."**

" **That idiot, Hogwarts champion?" said Ron as they pushed their way through the chattering crowd toward the staircase.**

Ron looked guilty of his past words, considering what Cedric's undeserved fate had been.

" **He's not an idiot. You just don't like him because he beat Gryffindor at Quidditch," said Hermione. "I've heard he's a really good student - _and_ he's a prefect."**

'He was a good student,' Sprout murmured sadly, nodding in agreement.

'And a good friend,' Ernie nodded grimly.

Cho just sniffed sadly at the mention of Cedric, before glancing at Harry sitting at the Gryffindor table with Daphne,

**She spoke as though this settled the matter.**

" **You only like him because he's _handsome_ ," said Ron scathingly.**

" **Excuse me, I don't like people just because they're handsome!" said Hermione indignantly.**

' _Lockhart_!' coughed Seamus innocently.

**Ron gave a loud false cough, which sounded oddly like " _Lockhart_!"**

'I stand by what I coughed last year,' Ron said simply, as though that settled the matter.

Hermione tinged pink.

**The appearance of the sign in the entrance hall had a marked effect upon the inhabitants of the castle. During the following week, there seemed to be only one topic of conversation, no matter where Harry went: the Triwizard Tournament.**

**Rumors were flying from student to student like highly contagious germs: who was going to try for Hogwarts champion,**

Harry felt his eye involuntarily twitch again. God, this book was more difficult to bear than any of the others combined.

**what the tournament would involve,**

'Foul creatures,' Harry muttered under his breath. Daphne heard him, and she sent him a sympathetic look, reaching out and interlocking their fingers.

**how the students from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang differed from themselves.**

**Harry noticed too that the castle seemed to be undergoing an extra-thorough cleaning.**

'For the first time in a few centuries, I'll bet,' Remus mused lightly.

**Several grimy portraits had been scrubbed, much to the displeasure of their subjects,**

A few people snickered as they remembered some of the various cursing, they had heard from the portrait subjects.

**who sat huddled in their frames muttering darkly and wincing as they felt their raw pink faces.**

Luna looked sympathetic towards the portraits.

**The suits of armour were suddenly gleaming and moving without squeaking,**

'For the first time in a thousand years,' Sirius finished in a dramatic voice.

**and Argus Filch, the caretaker, was behaving so ferociously to any students who forgot to wipe their shoes that he terrified a pair of first-year girls into hysterics.**

Madam Pomfrey tutted loudly, scowling at the caretaker. It had been a job and a half calming those poor girls down, which had involved Calming Draughts.

**Other members of the staff seemed oddly tense too.**

" **Longbottom, kindly do not reveal that you can't even perform a simple Switching Spell in front of anyone from Durmstrang!" Professor McGonagall barked at the end of one particularly difficult lesson, during which Neville had accidentally transplanted his own ears onto a cactus.**

'You just need more confidence, Neville,' said Hermione kindly, smiling at Neville,

Neville smiled back at her, grateful that someone stuck up for him. Well, he realised, he has the D.A now, so everything's better than it was.

Augusta looked at her grandson thoughtfully,

**When they went down to breakfast on the morning of the thirtieth of October, they found that the Great Hall had been decorated overnight. Enormous silk banners hung from the walls, each of them representing a Hogwarts House: red with a gold lion for Gryffindor,**

The Gryffindors couldn't help but cheer.

**blue with a bronze eagle for Ravenclaw, yellow with a black badger for Hufflepuff, and green with a silver serpent for Slytherin. Behind the teachers' table, the largest banner of all bore the Hogwarts coat of arms: lion, eagle, badger, and snake united around a large letter H.**

'Gryffindor and Slytherin will _never_ be united,' Padma murmured to Lisa, thinking about the immense rivalry between the two houses.

**Harry, Ron, and Hermione sat down beside Fred and George at the Gryffindor table. Once again, and most unusually, they were sitting apart from everyone else and conversing in low voices.**

'Most unusual,' Lee agreed, glancing at his two best friends.

**Ron led the way over to them.**

'Typical,' Fred grumbled under his breath.

" **It's a bummer, all right," George was saying gloomily to Fred.**

'What's a bummer?' Seamus asked in interest.

" **But if he won't talk to us in person, we'll have to send him the letter after all. Or we'll stuff it into his hand. He can't avoid us forever."**

" **Who's avoiding you?" said Ron, sitting down next to them.**

" **Wish you would," said Fred, looking irritated at the interruption.**

“Fred,” said Molly sharply,

'I didn't mean it,' said Fred, looking at Ron. 'We were just annoyed, is all.'

" **What's a bummer?" Ron asked George.**

" **Having a nosy git like you for a brother," said George.**

“Sorry,” said George quickly after a sharp look from his mother,

" **You two got any ideas on the Triwizard Tournament yet?" Harry asked. "Thought any more about trying to enter?"**

" **I asked McGonagall how the champions are chosen but she wasn't telling," said George bitterly. "She just told me to shut up and get on with transfiguring my raccoon."**

'Glad to know she hasn't changed much,' Sirius chuckled.

'You must be so proud that someone has decided to carry on your legacy,' McGonagall remarked dryly.

'Of course,' Remus answered for Sirius, shrugging casually.

" **Wonder what the tasks are going to be?" said Ron thoughtfully. "You know, I bet we could do them, Harry. We've done dangerous stuff before…"**

'Trust me, you _don't_ want to do the tasks,' Harry commented in a false light voice.

" **Not in front of a panel of judges, you haven't," said Fred. "McGonagall says the champions get awarded points according to how well they've done the tasks."**

" **Who are the judges?" Harry asked.**

" **Well, the Heads of the participating schools are always on the panel," said Hermione, and everyone looked around at her, rather surprised, "because all three of them were injured during the Tournament of 1792, when a cockatrice the champions were supposed to be catching went on the rampage."**

'Tell me again, how is she not in Ravenclaw?' Terry murmured to Anthony, who just shrugged.

**She noticed them all looking at her and said, with her usual air of impatience that nobody else had read all the books she had, "It's all in _Hogwarts, A History_.**

Hermione winced, realising now how that probably came across,

**Though, of course, that book's not _entirely_ reliable.**

'Hermione, speaking ill of that book?' George gasped in shock and horror.

'What blasphemy is this?' Fred asked, putting a hand on his heart.

**_A Revised History of Hogwarts_ ** **would be a more accurate title. Or A _Highly Biased and Selective History of Hogwarts, Which Glosses Over the Nastier Aspects of the School_."**

" **What are you on about?" said Ron, though Harry thought he knew what was coming.**

'Spew?' Ernie guessed, looking sympathetic.

'Spew,' Ron confirmed, nodding.

" ** _House-elves_!" said Hermione, her eyes flashing.**

Most of the Gryffindors groaned loudly, as Hermione glared at them,

" **Not once, in over a thousand pages, does _Hogwarts, A History_ mention that we are all colluding in the oppression of a hundred slaves!"**

**Harry shook his head and applied himself to his scrambled eggs.**

'It's best to keep out of the arguments and debates for as long as possible,' Neville nodded in agreement.

**His and Ron's lack of enthusiasm had done nothing whatsoever to curb Hermione's determination to pursue justice for house-elves.**

**True, both of them had paid two Sickles for a S.P.E.W. badge, but they had only done it to keep her quiet.**

Ron and Harry exchanged looks,

Hermione looked down at the table, she really shouldn’t have been so insistent,

**Their Sickles had been wasted, however; if anything, they seemed to have made Hermione more vociferous.**

'Oh, _brilliant_.'

**She had been badgering Harry and Ron ever since, first to wear the badges,**

“Sorry Mione, not going to happen” said Harry gently and Hermione nodded,

**then to persuade others to do the same, and she had also taken to rattling around the Gryffindor common room every evening, cornering people and shaking the collecting tin under their noses.**

'Pestering people won't necessarily get them to give donations,' Susan pointed out.

" **You do realize that your sheets are changed, your fires lit, your classrooms cleaned, and your food cooked by a group of magical creatures who are unpaid and enslaved?" she kept saying fiercely.**

'Look at it this way, Hermione,' said Justin in a placating voice. 'It could be worse. There could be a hundred Filches running around the place instead.'

A fair few student blanched at the thought of there being multiple Filches.

**Some people, like Neville, had paid up just to stop Hermione from glowering at them.**

'White flag,' said Neville.

**A few seemed mildly interested in what she had to say but were reluctant to take a more active role in campaigning. Many regarded the whole thing as a joke.**

Hermione glowered at anyone she knew who thought that.

**Ron now rolled his eyes at the ceiling, which was flooding them all in autumn sunlight, and Fred became extremely interested in his bacon (both twins had refused to buy a S.P.E.W. badge). George, however, leaned in toward Hermione.**

" **Listen, have you ever been down in the kitchens, Hermione?"**

" **No, of course not," said Hermione curtly, "I hardly think students are supposed to -"**

“Students are not supposed, to Mr. Weasley” said Umbridge delighted to finally have some dirt on someone,

“No Dolores remember we can’t punish students for things that have already happened,” said McGonagall

'Not supposed to, perhaps, but did it ever stop us?' Sirius snickered at the same time,

" **Well, we have," said George, indicating Fred, "loads of times, to nick food.**

'Ah, young mischief makers,' Sirius sniffed, wiping away an imaginary tear from his eye.

**And we've met them, and they're _happy_. They think they've got the best job in the world -"**

" **That's because they're uneducated and brainwashed!" Hermione began hotly, but her next few words were drowned out by the sudden whooshing noise from overhead, which announced the arrival of the post owls. Harry looked up at once, and saw Hedwig soaring toward him. Hermione stopped talking abruptly;**

'Thank god for that,' muttered Draco to quietly for anyone to hear,

**she and Ron watched Hedwig anxiously as she fluttered down onto Harry's shoulder, folded her wings, and held out her leg wearily.**

**Harry pulled off Sirius's reply and offered Hedwig his bacon rinds, which she ate gratefully.**

'So sweet,' cooed Lavender, Parvati nodding in agreement. Harry ignored them.

**Then, checking that Fred and George were safely immersed in further discussions about the Triwizard Tournament, Harry read out Sirius's letter in a whisper to Ron and Hermione.**

**_Nice try, Harry._ **

'Try as you may, you couldn't fool me,' Sirius said with a small smirk planted on his face.

'Worth a shot, I suppose,' Harry sighed dramatically. 'I was only trying to keep you from getting thrown back into Azkaban.'

'Harry, I'm your godfather, and, funny enough, that means I'm supposed to worry about _you_ , not the other way around!' Sirius's tone was suddenly serious. 'Your parents appointed me your godfather for a reason; because they _knew_ I could take care of you! If they had thought otherwise, then they wouldn't have done it. Lily would never have allowed someone who she didn't feel was capable of taking care of her precious baby to be their godfather.'

Harry nodded a couple of times.

**_I_ ** **' _m back in the country and well hidden. I want you to keep me posted on everything that_ ' _s going on at Hogwarts. Don_ ' _t use Hedwig, keep changing owls,_**

'Good advice,' said Mad-Eye approvingly. 'Constant vigilance!'

**_and don_ ** **' _t worry about me, just watch out for yourself. Don_ ' _t forget what I said about your scar._**

**_Sirius_ **

" **Why d'you have to keep changing owls?" Ron asked in a low voice.**

'Constant vigilance?' Tonks guessed, grinning at her mentor.

'Constant vigilance,' Mad-Eye nodded in agreement.

" **Hedwig'll attract too much attention," said Hermione at once. "She stands out. A snowy owl that keeps returning to wherever he's hiding… I mean, they're not native birds, are they?"**

'No,' Luna confirmed.

**Harry rolled up the letter and slipped it inside his robes, wondering whether he felt more or less worried than before. He supposed that Sirius managing to get back without being caught was something.**

'It was actually quite easy,' Sirius shrugged. 'The Ministry had sent everyone abroad to look for me, obviously anticipating that I wouldn't be stupid enough to return to the country.'

**He couldn't deny either that the idea that Sirius was much nearer was reassuring; at least he wouldn't have to wait so long for a response every time he wrote.**

" **Thanks, Hedwig," he said, stroking her. She hooted sleepily, dipped her beak briefly into his goblet of orange juice, then took off again, clearly desperate for a good long sleep in the Owlery.**

'Poor Hedwig,' Luna cooed to herself quietly.

**There was a pleasant feeling of anticipation in the air that day. Nobody was very attentive in lessons, being much more interested in the arrival that evening of the people from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang; even Potions was more bearable than usual, as it was half an hour shorter.**

'Best Potions lesson we've ever had,' Neville grinned.

**When the bell rang early, Harry, Ron, and Hermione hurried up to Gryffindor Tower, deposited their bags and books as they had been instructed, pulled on their cloaks, and rushed back downstairs into the entrance hall.**

**The Heads of Houses were ordering their students into lines.**

" **Weasley, straighten your hat," Professor McGonagall snapped at Ron.**

'She told us to as well,' said Lee in a mock sorrowful voice. 'Ridiculous hats.'

" **Miss Patil, take that ridiculous thing out of your hair."**

Parvati scowled, and Lavender patted her hand consolingly.

'Don't worry,' said Lavender comfortingly. 'Your butterfly grip is beautiful.'

Parvati smiled at her best friend.

**Parvati scowled and removed a large ornamental butterfly from the end of her plait.**

'Don't see why I couldn't keep it in,' Parvati grumbled.

" **Follow me, please," said Professor McGonagall. "First years in front…no pushing…"**

McGonagall looked pointedly at the Weasley twins.

**They filed down the steps and lined up in front of the castle. It was a cold, clear evening; dusk was falling and a pale, transparent-looking moon was already shining over the Forbidden Forest. Harry, standing between Ron and Hermione in the fourth row from the front, saw Dennis Creevey positively shivering with anticipation among the other first years.**

Dennis blushed but grinned widely nonetheless.

" **Nearly six," said Ron, checking his watch and then staring down the drive that led to the front gates. "How d'you reckon they're coming? The train?"**

" **I doubt it," said Hermione.**

" **How, then? Broomsticks?" Harry suggested, looking up at the starry sky.**

'Imagine the girls from Beauxbatons trying to ride a broomstick,' snickered Seamus.

" **I don't think so…not from that far away…"**

" **A Portkey?" Ron suggested. "Or they could Apparate - maybe you're allowed to do it under seventeen wherever they come from?"**

" **You can't Apparate inside the Hogwarts grounds, how often do I have to tell you?" said Hermione impatiently.**

'Many more times to come, since we refuse to read that bloody book,' said Ron confidently, smirking.

**They scanned the darkening grounds excitedly, but nothing was moving; everything was still, silent, and quite as usual. Harry was starting to feel cold.**

'You weren't the only one,' Terry grumbled.

**He wished they'd hurry up…Maybe the foreign students were preparing a dramatic entrance…**

'Dramatic? Yes. Pointless? Yes,' someone from further up the Gryffindor table commented.

**He remembered what Mr. Weasley had said back at the campsite before the Quidditch World Cup: "always the same - we can't resist showing off when we get together…"**

'Again, a good memory,' Mad-Eye commented, nodding in approval and ignoring McGonagall's glare.

**And then Dumbledore called out from the back row where he stood with the other teachers - "Aha! Unless I am very much mistaken, the delegation from Beauxbatons approaches!"**

'It would've been awkward if he'd been wrong, and it had been just a bird or one of Hagrid's pets,' snickered Fred.

" **Where?" said many students eagerly, all looking in different directions.**

" ** _There_!" yelled a sixth year, pointing over the forest.**

'It's a bird, it's a plane! No, it's,' Dean started to say, but he was cut off by Seamus.

'A cloud,' Seamus finished with a smirk.

**Something large, much larger than a broomstick - or, indeed, a hundred broomsticks - was hurtling across the deep blue sky toward the castle, growing larger all the time.**

'They could have used something smaller. It would have been easier to conceal,' said Hermione, frowning in thought.

'And how do you propose to fit that many people into something smaller?' Zacharias sneered. Harry was reminded of one of Dudley's friends.

'Undetectable Extension Charm,' Hermione answered without hesitation, looking as though she wanted to smirk smugly at the over-confident Hufflepuff.

'Correct, Miss Granger!' Flitwick commended, smiling.

" **It's a dragon!" shrieked one of the first years, losing her head completely.**

" **Don't be stupid…it's a flying house!" said Dennis Creevey.**

'And where do you propose to get a flying house from?' Zacharias chose to sneer with incredulousness. Harry was beginning to wonder whether the sneer was fixed on permanently, like a less threatening version of Snape.

'It was in a Muggle film!' Hermione defended the second year fiercely. 'And he was closer to the truth than _your_ guess, I bet!'

'He was looking the other way when it first came into sight,' Susan supplied, shooting a smirk at Zacharias.

**Dennis's guess was closer…**

Dennis shot a slightly nervous smile at Harry, who smiled back kindly.

**As the gigantic black shape skimmed over the treetops of the Forbidden Forest and the lights shining from the castle windows hit it, they saw a gigantic, powderblue, horse-drawn carriage, the size of a large house,**

Hermione shot a smug look at Zacharias.

**soaring toward them, pulled through the air by a dozen winged horses, all palominos, and each the size of an elephant.**

**The front three rows of students drew backward as the carriage hurtled ever lower, coming in to land at a tremendous speed - then, with an almighty crash that made Neville jump backward onto a Slytherin fifth year's foot,**

The Gryffindors snickered as Seamus, Dean and Ron high-fived Neville, congratulating him. The Slytherin aforementioned scowled as he remembered the pain from someone standing on his foot.

**the horses' hooves, larger than dinner plates, hit the ground. A second later, the carriage landed too, bouncing upon its vast wheels, while the golden horses tossed their enormous heads and rolled large, fiery red eyes.**

**Harry just had time to see that the door of the carriage bore a coat of arms (two crossed, golden wands, each emitting three stars)**

'I like their coat of arms,' Luna sighed dreamily.

**before it opened. A boy in pale blue robes jumped down from the carriage, bent forward, fumbled for a moment with something on the carriage floor, and unfolded a set of golden steps. He sprang back respectfully.**

'Umbridge _wishes_ she was greeted like this,' snickered Anthony. He was met with murmurs and sniggers of agreement.

**Then Harry saw a shining, high-heeled black shoe emerging from the inside of the carriage - a shoe the size of a child's sled - followed, almost immediately, by the largest woman he had ever seen in his life.**

'She was one _big_ woman,' Seamus commented.

**The size of the carriage, and of the horses, was immediately explained. A few people gasped.**

**Harry had only ever seen one person as large as this woman in his life, and that was Hagrid;**

_Filthy half-breeds_ , was what was going through Umbridge's mind.

**he doubted whether there was an inch difference in their heights. Yet somehow - maybe simply because he was used to Hagrid - this woman (now at the foot of the steps, and looking around at the waiting, wide-eyed crowd) seemed even more unnaturally large. As she stepped into the light flooding from the entrance hall, she was revealed to have a handsome, olive-skinned face;**

Hagrid tried to quietly clear his throat, and he was thanking whatever God there might be for the beard that was currently hiding his blushing cheeks.

**large, black, liquid-looking eyes; and a rather beaky nose. Her hair was drawn back in a shining knob at the base of her neck. She was dressed from head to foot in black satin, and many magnificent opals gleamed at her throat and on her thick fingers.**

'Umbridge _dreams_ of owning jewellery like that,' Hannah giggled.

**Dumbledore started to clap; the students, following his lead, broke into applause too, many of them standing on tiptoe, the better to look at this woman.**

'There was really no need to, to be honest,' shrugged Zabini.

**Her face relaxed into a gracious smile**

'She was nervous about her firs' impression,' said Hagrid thoughfully.

'And how do you know this, Hagrid?' Sirius couldn't help but ask.

'She told me,' Hagrid answered shortly, and Sirius snickered quietly under his breath.

**and she walked forward toward Dumbledore, extending a glittering hand. Dumbledore, though tall himself, had barely to bend to kiss it.**

A few first years reminded Harry of bugs, what with their wide-eyed expressions at the height difference.

" **My dear Madame Maxime," he said. "Welcome to Hogwarts."**

" **Dumbly-dorr," said Madame Maxime in a deep voice. "I 'ope I find you well?"**

' _Fantastic_!' Sirius snorted. 'I'm using that name for him!'

" **In excellent form, I thank you," said Dumbledore.**

" **My pupils," said Madame Maxime, waving one of her enormous hands carelessly behind her.**

**Harry, whose attention had been focused completely upon Madame Maxime, now noticed that about a dozen boys and girls, all, by the look of them, in their late teens, had emerged from the carriage and were now standing behind Madame Maxime. They were shivering, which was unsurprising, given that their robes seemed to be made of fine silk, and none of them were wearing cloaks.**

'They should have prepared for the delights of Scottish weather more thoroughly,' said Lisa thoughtfully.

'France is a lot warmer than here,' Hermione nodded in agreement.

**A few had wrapped scarves and shawls around their heads. From what Harry could see of them (they were standing in Madame Maxime's enormous shadow), they were staring up at Hogwarts with apprehensive looks on their faces.**

'Apparently, Beauxbatons is a really fancy looking place,' said Hermione, looking thoughtful.

'It is,' Luna confirmed. 'Mum went there. She said it was really pretty there, and she wanted me to go there, and Dad agreed. When Mum died, though, Dad wanted me closer to home, so I came here.'

'You live towards the south of England, though,' Ginny frowned. 'How is sending you to Scotland closer than France, which is only a few miles across the sea?'

'Beauxbatons is in the south of France, more towards Spain,' Luna answered her.

"' **As Karkaroff arrived yet?" Madame Maxime asked.**

" **He should be here any moment," said Dumbledore. "Would you like to wait here and greet him or would you prefer to step inside and warm up a trifle?"**

'Warm up a trifle?' Fred repeated, raising an eyebrow.

'Oh, are the trifles frozen or something?' George snickered.

'Not very polite, making the guests warm up their own desserts,' Lee said, shaking his head and tutting.

Sirius turned to Remus and mouthed, ' _I love those three_!'

" **Warm up, I think," said Madame Maxime. "But ze 'orses -"**

" **Our Care of Magical Creatures teacher will be delighted to take care of them," said Dumbledore, "the moment he has returned from dealing with a slight situation that has arisen with some of his other - er - charges."**

'Charges? More like pests,' scowled Dean.

" **Skrewts," Ron muttered to Harry, grinning.**

" **My steeds require - er - forceful 'andling," said Madame Maxime, looking as though she doubted whether any Care of Magical Creatures teacher at Hogwarts could be up to the job. "Zey are very strong…"**

'Hagrid can look after anything,' Harry shrugged, grinning at Hagrid.

" **I assure you that Hagrid will be well up to the job," said Dumbledore, smiling.**

" **Very well," said Madame Maxime, bowing slightly. "Will you please inform zis 'Agrid zat ze 'orses drink only single-malt whiskey?"**

'Oh, I'm sure Hagrid can supply it,' Sirius said without concern.

" **It will be attended to," said Dumbledore, also bowing.**

" **Come," said Madame Maxime imperiously to her students, and the Hogwarts crowd parted to allow her and her students to pass up the stone steps.**

" **How big d'you reckon Durmstrang's horses are going to be?" Seamus Finnigan said, leaning around Lavender and Parvati to address Harry and Ron.**

'If they bring a wooden horse,' said Padma, looking like she was imagining the Durmstrang students climbing out of a wooden horse.

" **Well, if they're any bigger than this lot, even Hagrid won't be able to handle them," said Harry. "That's if he hasn't been attacked by his skrewts. Wonder what's up with them?"**

" **Maybe they've escaped," said Ron hopefully.**

'We can all dream,' sighed Neville.

" **Oh don't say that," said Hermione with a shudder. "Imagine that lot loose on the grounds…"**

'Good point, actually,' Neville shuddered.

**They stood, shivering slightly now, waiting for the Durmstrang party to arrive.**

'Death Eaters, former or current, have no concept of arriving on time,' Harry muttered under his breath.

**Most people were gazing hopefully up at the sky.**

**For a few minutes, the silence was broken only by Madame Maxime's huge horses snorting and stamping. But then - "Can you hear something?" said Ron suddenly. Harry listened; a loud and oddly eerie noise was drifting toward them from out of the darkness: a muffled rumbling and sucking sound, as though an immense vacuum cleaner were moving along a riverbed.**

'That'd be pretty pointless,' said Justin, snorting.

" **The lake!" yelled Lee Jordan, pointing down at it. "Look at the lake!"**

**From their position at the top of the lawns overlooking the grounds, they had a clear view of the smooth black surface of the water - except that the surface was suddenly not smooth at all. Some disturbance was taking place deep in the center; great bubbles were forming on the surface, waves were now washing over the muddy banks - and then, out in the very middle of the lake, a whirlpool appeared, as if a giant plug had just been pulled out of the lake's floor…What seemed to be a long, black pole began to rise slowly out of the heart of the whirlpool…and then Harry saw the rigging…**

'Somebody likes to arrive in style,' Tonks smirked as she realised what it was.

" **It's a mast!" he said to Ron and Hermione.**

**Slowly, magnificently, the ship rose out of the water, gleaming in the moonlight. It had a strangely skeletal look about it, as though it were a resurrected wreck, and the dim, misty lights shimmering at its portholes looked like ghostly eyes.**

Snape smirked. Igor Karkaroff had always been fond of skulls and everything of the like. How typical of him to go for the dead-ship look.

**Finally, with a great sloshing noise, the ship emerged entirely, bobbing on the turbulent water, and began to glide toward the bank.**

'So, Beauxbatons arrived in an oversized carriage, and Dumstrang used a ship,' said Tonks thoughtfully. 'What would Hogwarts have used, I wonder?'

'We'd probably bemade to get the Knight Bus,' Ron grumbled.

'Oh, but that wouldn't matter,' smirked Fred.

'Yeah, we'd turn it into the Party Bus,' George finished, grinning like a maniac.

'Party from here to, well, wherever the hell we're going,' Lee grinned.

The Gryffindors all nodded and murmured in agreement, snickering.

**A few moments later, they heard the splash of an anchor being thrown down in the shallows, and the thud of a plank being lowered onto the bank.**

**People were disembarking; they could see their silhouettes passing the lights in the ship's portholes. All of them, Harry noticed, seemed to be built along the lines of Crabbe and Goyle…**

'That's an insult to those poor kids,' sighed Lee in mock sadness.

**but then, as they drew nearer, walking up the lawns into the light streaming from the entrance hall, he saw that their bulk was really due to the fact that they were wearing cloaks of some kind of shaggy, matted fur.**

'They need them in Scandinavia,' Sirius nodded.

**But the man who was leading them up to the castle was wearing furs of a different sort: sleek and silver, like his hair.**

" **Dumbledore!" he called heartily as he walked up the slope. "How are you, my dear fellow, how are you?"**

'Hamming it up to the maximum,' George winced.

" **Blooming, thank you, Professor Karkaroff," Dumbledore replied.**

'And he's just hamming it up a notch beyond maximum,' Fred expanded on his twin's statement.

**Karkaroff had a fruity, unctuous voice;**

'Funny. I'd go for cheesy,' Lee shrugged. 'Just my thoughts, though.'

**when he stepped into the light pouring from the front doors of the castle they saw that he was tall and thin like Dumbledore, but his white hair was short, and his goatee (finishing in a small curl)**

'The beard of evil people,' said Sirius matter-of-factly.

'How would you know?' Harry asked, raising an eyebrow.

'My dear old Dad and uncle both had one,' Sirius grimaced.

**did not entirely hide his rather weak chin. When he reached Dumbledore, he shook hands with both of his own.**

" **Dear old Hogwarts," he said, looking up at the castle and smiling; his teeth were rather yellow,**

Many of the girls wrinkled their noses in disgust.

**and Harry noticed that his smile did not extend to his eyes, which remained cold and shrewd.**

'This ability to notice even the smallest details about people and objects is a valuable gift,' said Mad-Eye knowingly. 'Don't take it for granted.'

" **How good it is to be here, how good…Viktor, come along, into the warmth…**

'I think Karkaroff has a favourite student,' said Terry lightly.

'Something he and Snape have in common, is favouritism,' Anthony nodded.

**you don't mind, Dumbledore? Viktor has a slight head cold…"**

'N'aww, poor Viktor,' cooed the twins, looking at Hermione and raising their eyebrows and smirking. Hermione ignored them, although Ron had to grind his teeth to refrain from commenting.

**Karkaroff beckoned forward one of his students. As the boy passed, Harry caught a glimpse of a prominent curved nose and thick black eyebrows. He didn't need the punch on the arm Ron gave him, or the hiss in his ear, to recognize that profile.**

" **Harry - it's _Krum_!"**

'Just like a fangirl!' Fred all but squealed, smirking at his younger brother. Ron scowled at him.

'That's the end of that chapter,' Justin announced, putting the book down. She looked around expectantly, waiting for the next person to read the book.

'Very well. I'll read then,' said Hannah, taking the book


	18. Author's Note

**Hi guys sorry for the delay, I'm trying to get two done and I will then upload both at the same time, but I promise I have not forgotten this story**


	19. Goblet of Fire

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Okay change of plan, here is Chapter 19 (Goblet of Fire), I have writer's block with Chapter 20, so I didn't want to keep you guys waiting any longer  
> As always I hope you enjoy

'The Goblet of Fire,' Hannah readout. Harry twitched when the title was readout, Daphne noticed and grabbed his hand reassuringly,

Umbridge sat bolt upright as did the few that still thought Harry put his own name in the goblet,

" **I don't believe it!" Ron said, in a stunned voice, as the Hogwarts students filed back up the steps behind the party from Durmstrang. "Krum, Harry! _Viktor Krum_!"**

Ron turned red as the fifth-year boys and his brothers' began sniggering

" **For heaven's sake, Ron, he's only a Quidditch player," said Hermione.**

'Only a Quidditch player, Hermione?' Fred asked innocently, causing Hermione to glare at him and Ron to scowl.

" ** _Only a Quidditch player_?" Ron said, looking at her as though he couldn't believe his ears. "Hermione - he's one of the best Seekers in the world! I had no idea he was still at school!"**

"A lot of us start quite early," said Viktor turning to Ron

**As they recrossed the entrance hall with the rest of the Hogwarts students heading for the Great Hall, Harry saw Lee Jordan jumping up and down on the soles of his feet to get a better look at the back of Krum's head.**

Lee blushed slightly, but he grinned unashamedly nonetheless.

**Several sixth-year girls were frantically searching their pockets as they walked - "Oh I don't believe it, I haven't got a single quill on me -"**

Hermione looked pointedly at Ron, who ignored the look.

" **D'you think he'd sign my hat in lipstick?"**

Hermione rolled her eyes this time.

" ** _Really_ ," Hermione said loftily as they passed the girls, now squabbling over the lipstick.**

'Like children who have been given a new shiny toy to drool over.' muttered Hermione, shaking her head, Daphne looked like she agreed wholeheartedly with that,

" ** _I'm_ getting his autograph if I can," said Ron.**

'Didn't know you were a fangirl, Ronniekins,' Fred teased lightly.

Ron glared at his older brother.

" **You haven't got a quill, have you, Harry?"**

Ron flushed, looking quite embarrassed,

" **Nope, they're upstairs in my bag," said Harry.**

'Just as well,' Hermione sniffed.

**They walked over to the Gryffindor table and sat down. Ron took care to sit on the side facing the doorway, because Krum and his fellow Durmstrang students were still gathered around it,**

'That would explain why you were sat like that, then,' smirked Seamus.

**apparently unsure about where they should sit. The students from Beauxbatons had chosen seats at the Ravenclaw table. They were looking around the Great Hall with glum expressions on their faces.**

'They were used to something different, and to it being warmer,' said Luna knowingly, smiling that vague smile again.

**Three of them were still clutching scarves and shawls around their heads.**

Fleur nodded she had been surprised by how cold it was,

" **It's not _that_ cold," said Hermione defensively. "Why didn't they bring cloaks?"**

'Lack of knowledge about our country,' said Lisa, the Ravenclaws nodding in agreement.

Fleur nodded again,

" **Over here! Come and sit over here!" Ron hissed. "Over here! Hermione, budge up, make a space -"**

" **What?"**

" **Too late," said Ron bitterly.**

**Viktor Krum and his fellow Durmstrang students had settled themselves at the Slytherin table.**

Ron muttered something unintelligible under his breath.

**Harry could see Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle looking very smug about this.**

'No doubt Crabbe and Goyle had no idea what to be looking smug about,' Daphne said shaking her head,

Krum shook his head, really wishing he had chosen the Gryffindor table now

**As he watched, Malfoy bent forward to speak to Krum.**

Harry could see out of the corner of his eye, Malfoy looking jealous every time Krum spoke to him and Ron,

" **Yeah, that's right, smarm up to him, Malfoy," said Ron scathingly.**

'Says the one fighting for his autograph a moment before," snapped Hermione causing Ron to turn red,

Hannah read on before a fight could break out,

" **I bet Krum can see right through him, though… bet he gets people fawning over him all the time…**

Harry and Krum exchanged looks, yes they both could

**Where d'you reckon they're going to sleep?**

"On their ship," said Fred in a tone one would use for a particularly slow child

Ron turned red as the Gryffindors sniggered,

**We could offer him a space in our dormitory, Harry… I wouldn't mind giving him my bed, I could kip on a camp bed."**

**Hermione snorted.**

" **They look a lot happier than the Beauxbatons lot," said Harry. The Durmstrang students were pulling off their heavy furs and looking up at the starry black ceiling with expressions of interest; a couple of them were picking up the golden plates and goblets and examining them, apparently impressed.**

'It goes to show that you shouldn't judge before you know,' said Luna serenely.

'What do you mean?' Daphne asked curiously.

'Durmstrang has a more horrible reputation than Beauxbatons, yet it's those students who are willing to be more open-minded about new things. Some of them were quite nice to talk to as well,' Luna explained, smiling.

Many students looked thoughtful at those words,

**Up at the staff table, Filch, the caretaker, was adding chairs. He was wearing his mouldy old tailcoat in honour of the occasion.**

'Bet Toad face wants to see Filch in his mouldy old tailcoat,' Fred muttered seriously, causing those that heard him to gag,

**Harry was surprised to see that he added four chairs, two on either side of Dumbledore's. "But there are only two extra people," Harry said. "Why's Filch putting out four chairs, who else is coming?"**

"Bet you Ronnie isn't listening,"

" **Eh?" said Ron vaguely. He was still staring avidly at Krum.**

Ron looked disgusted with his past self, and Fred and George looked like they desperately wanted to tease him.

**When all the students had entered the Hall and settled down at their House tables, the staff entered, filing up to the top table and taking their seats. Last in line were Professor Dumbledore, Professor Karkaroff, and Madame Maxime. When their headmistress appeared, the pupils from Beauxbatons leapt to their feet.**

'I remember having to do that in assemblies in primary school when our headteacher walked in,' Dean grimaced. Harry and Hermione nodded in agreement.

'I despised primary school,' Colin muttered.

'Some of the lessons were okay, like maths, but I never really spoke to anyone there, thanks to Dud,' Harry shrugged. 'P.E wasn't that bad either, if it was running.'

'I hated P.E,' Hermione groaned. 'I couldn't see the point in running around a field when there were other things I could be doing with that one hour of time.'

**A few of the Hogwarts students laughed. The Beauxbatons party appeared quite unembarrassed, however, and did not resume their seats until Madame Maxime had sat down on Dumbledore's left-hand side. Dumbledore remained standing, and a silence fell over the Great Hall.**

" **Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, ghosts and - most particularly – guests,"**

'What about the centaurs?' Fred demanded in mock indignation.

'And the giants?' George continued in the same tone.

'And the spiders?'

'And the Death Eaters?'

The twins got up and bowed, whilst ignoring the looks from their mother and head of house,

**said Dumbledore, beaming around at the foreign students. "I have great pleasure in welcoming you all to Hogwarts. I hope and trust that your stay here will be both comfortable and enjoyable."**

'The Durmstrang students rather enjoyed their visit,' said Hermione absent-mindedly. 'Viktor said so. He said he rather liked the castle.'

'Oh yes, I'm sure it was the _castle_ he liked looking at,' Ron grumbled under his breath. Harry thought he heard a slight tone of jealousy to his best friend's voice.

**One of the Beauxbatons girls still clutching a muffler around her head gave what was unmistakably a derisive laugh.**

Fleur shook her head,

" **No one's making you stay!" Hermione whispered, bristling at her.**

" **The tournament will be officially opened at the end of the feast," said Dumbledore.**

Harry scowled again.

" **I now invite you all to eat, drink, and make yourselves at home!"**

'That is, party on,' Lee cheered. The twins joined in, grinning widely.

'Keep Calm and Party On,' George smirked.

**He sat down, and Harry saw Karkaroff lean forward at once and engage him in conversation.**

**The plates in front of them filled with food as usual. The house-elves in the kitchen seemed to have pulled out all the stops; there was a greater variety of dishes in front of them than Harry had ever seen, including several that were definitely foreign.**

" **What's _that_?" said Ron, pointing at a large dish of some sort of shellfish stew that stood beside a large steak-and-kidney pudding.**

" **Bouillabaisse," said Hermione.**

Lisa wrinkled her nose. She didn't overly like that particular meal.

" **Bless you," said Ron.**

A few people chuckled here and there.

" **It's _French_ ," said Hermione, "I had it on holiday summer before last. It's very nice."**

'Well, it all depends on opinion,' Lisa murmured under her breath.

" **I'll take your word for it," said Ron, helping himself to black pudding.**

**The Great Hall seemed somehow much more crowded than usual,**

'It couldn't have been because, oh, I don't know, there were more people there, perhaps?' Lee snorted, grinning.

**even though there were barely twenty additional students there; perhaps it was because their differently coloured uniforms stood out so clearly against the black of the Hogwarts' robes.**

'It made us look like we were dressed for a funeral!' howled Fred dramatically.

'Between Beauxbatons, Durmstrang and Dumbledore's bloody technicolour robe, we really did,' George grimaced.

**Now that they had removed their furs, the Durmstrang students were revealed to be wearing robes of a deep bloodred.**

'Cheerful,' commented Tonks.

**Hagrid sidled into the Hall through a door behind the staff table twenty minutes after the start of the feast. He slid into his seat at the end and waved at Harry, Ron, and Hermione with a very heavily bandaged hand.**

'I'm never going near a Skrewt,' said Tonks with certainty.

" **Skrewts doing all right, Hagrid?" Harry called.**

" **Thrivin'," Hagrid called back happily.**

'Like that's a good thing,' Seamus muttered under his breath.

" **Yeah, I'll just bet they are," said Ron quietly. "Looks like they've finally found a food they like, doesn't it? Hagrid's fingers."**

'Mmm, Hagrid's fingers,' snickered Fred.

'Delightful dish,' said George in a serious voice, although his mouth kept twitching.

**At that moment, a voice said, "Excuse me, are you wanting ze bouillabaisse?" It was the girl from Beauxbatons who had laughed during Dumbledore's speech. She had finally removed her muffler. A long sheet of silvery-blonde hair fell almost to her waist. She had large, deep blue eyes, and very white, even teeth.**

A few guys in the Hall took on a dreamy look.

'Sorry to disappoint you lot, but Miss Fleur Delacour is currently going our with our dear older brother,' Fred announced, grinning.

Many of the boys gave the eldest Weasley nasty looks,

**Ron went purple.**

'Damn your over-observant eyes,' Ron grumbled half-heartedly.

**He stared up at her, opened his mouth to reply, but nothing came out except a faint gurgling noise.**

'How articulate,' Hermione sighed.

Ron blushed, whilst Bill chuckled at his brother's expense,

" **Yeah, have it," said Harry, pushing the dish toward the girl.**

'At least one of you managed to keep your senses.'

" **You 'ave finished wiz it?"**

" **Yeah," Ron said breathlessly. "Yeah, it was excellent."**

'Yes, the bouillabaisse was excellent, nothing to do with the fact that you showed up,' snickered Dean.

'Oh, please, you goggled after her as well,' Ron pointed out, mock glaring.

**The girl picked up the dish and carried it carefully off to the Ravenclaw table. Ron was still goggling at the girl as though he had never seen one before.**

A few people snickered.

**Harry started to laugh. The sound seemed to jog Ron back to his senses.**

'About time,' Hermione grumbled.

" **She's a _veela_!" he said hoarsely to Harry.**

'Part veela, actually,' Harry corrected.

Umbridge sneered to herself. So this girl was yet another _half-breed_.

" **Of course she isn't!" said Hermione tartly. "I don't see anyone else gaping at her like an idiot!"**

**But she wasn't entirely right about that.**

'Someone alert the media! Hermione Granger wasn't right about something!' George shrieked, causing Hermione to glare at him.

**As the girl crossed the Hall, many boys' heads turned, and some of them seemed to have become temporarily speechless, just like Ron.**

Several of the guys who had been rendered speechless by Fleur went slightly red and became interested in other trivial matters, like the cracks in the wall.

" **I'm telling you, that's not a normal girl!" said Ron, leaning sideways so he could keep a clear view of her. "They don't make them like that at Hogwarts!"**

Several of the girls glared at Ron for that comment, who gulped, much to the amusement of Fred and George.

" **They make them okay at Hogwarts," said Harry without thinking. Cho happened to be sitting only a few places away from the girl with the silvery hair.**

Harry flushed, as the boys wolf-whistled

Cho gave Daphne a nasty smile which only Hermione picked up on,

 _Uh oh_ thought Hermione,

" **When you've both put your eyes back in," said Hermione briskly, "you'll be able to see who's just arrived."**

**She was pointing up at the staff table. The two remaining empty seats had just been filled. Ludo Bagman was now sitting on Professor Karkaroff's other side, while Mr Crouch, Percy's boss, was next to Madame Maxime.**

Harry scowled darkly to himself, thinking about how Crouch had been under the Imperius all that time.

Sirius also growled under his breath,

" **What are _they_ doing here?" said Harry in surprise.**

" **They organized the Triwizard Tournament, didn't they?" said Hermione.**

'Which should never have been brought back in the first

" **I suppose they wanted to be here to see it start."**

**When the second course arrived they noticed a number of unfamiliar desserts too. Ron examined an odd sort of pale blancmange closely, then moved it carefully a few inches to his right, so that it would be clearly visible from the Ravenclaw table.**

Again, a few people snorted.

**The girl who looked like a veela appeared to have eaten enough, however, and did not come over to get it.**

**Once the golden plates had been wiped clean, Dumbledore stood up again. A pleasant sort of tension seemed to fill the Hall now. Harry felt a slight thrill of excitement, wondering what was coming.**

Harry muttered under his breath again.

**Several seats down from them, Fred and George were leaning forward, staring at Dumbledore with great concentration.**

" **The moment has come," said Dumbledore, smiling around at the sea of upturned faces. "The Triwizard Tournament is about to start. I would like to say a few words of explanation before we bring in the casket —"**

Harry's eye twitched again at the reminder of the death that was to happen, months from the time that the book was at at the moment, but still to happen nonetheless. More foreshadowing...

'The mention of the Goblet of Fire being brought in a casket symbolises the death that came with it,' said Luna, her voice momentarily lacking the dreamy quality. 'The price that was paid for resurrecting the tournament itself.'

" **The what?" Harry muttered.**

**Ron shrugged.**

"— **just to clarify the procedure that we will be following this year. But first, let me introduce, for those who do not know them, Mr. Bartemius Crouch, Head of the Department of International Magical Cooperation"**

'Boring,' yawned Lee.

**\- there was a smattering of polite applause - "and Mr. Ludo Bagman, Head of the Department of Magical Games and Sports."**

Fred and George scowled.

**There was a much louder round of applause for Bagman than for Crouch, perhaps because of his fame as a Beater, or simply because he looked so much more likable.**

'Crouch just looks like something has just crawled up his - ' Lee began to say scathingly, but Alicia cut him off at the last second by slapping him on the head.

**He acknowledged it with a jovial wave of his hand.**

'Someone's been taking lessons from Lockhart,' blanched Terry.

'Do not name that thing from second year!' Anthony mock gasped.

**Bartemius Crouch did not smile or wave when his name was announced.**

'He didn't smile and wave?' Dennis asked in shock.

**Remembering him in his neat suit at the Quidditch World Cup, Harry thought he looked strange in wizard's robes. His toothbrush moustache**

'All I can think of is Crouch with an actual toothbrush for a moustache,' Fred snickered.

**and severe parting looked very odd next to Dumbledore's long white hair and beard.**

'Everyone's hair looks odd next to Dumbledore's hair,' Sirius shrugged.

" **Mr. Bagman and Mr. Crouch have worked tirelessly over the last few months on the arrangements for the Triwizard Tournament,"**

Harry could be heard muttering things like ' _fantastic safety measures_ ' and ' _typical_ '.

**Dumbledore continued, "and they will be joining myself, Professor Karkaroff, and Madame Maxime on the panel that will judge the champions' efforts."**

**At the mention of the word "champions," the attentiveness of the listening students seemed to sharpen.**

Harry just grimaced this time.

**Perhaps Dumbledore had noticed their sudden stillness, for he smiled as he said, "The casket, then, if you please, Mr. Filch."**

**Filch, who had been lurking**

The twins couldn't help but snicker.

**unnoticed in a far corner of the Hall, now approached Dumbledore carrying a great wooden chest encrusted with jewels. It looked extremely old. A murmur of excited interest rose from the watching students; Dennis Creevey actually stood on his chair to see it properly, but, being so tiny, his head hardly rose above anyone else's.**

Dennis blushed slightly.

" **The instructions for the tasks the champions will face this year have already been examined by Mr. Crouch and Mr. Bagman," said Dumbledore as Filch placed the chest carefully on the table before him, "and they have made the necessary arrangements for each challenge. There will be three tasks, spaced throughout the school year, and they will test the champions in many different ways… their magical prowess -**

Harry felt his eye twitch again. The twitch was happening every time something reminded him of the graveyard.

**their daring - their powers of deduction - and, of course, their ability to cope with danger."**

Harry clenched his jaw tightly shut, not trusting himself to speak, lest what he was actually thinking be said instead. He shot a glare at Dumbledore, though, and felt that anger again, and the dull pain in the scar briefly became white hot before subsiding to it's normal state.

**At this last word, the Hall was filled with a silence so absolute that nobody seemed to be breathing.**

" **As you know, three champions compete in the tournament," Dumbledore went on calmly, "one from each of the participating schools.**

'Unless there happen to be Death Eaters in one of said schools,' Sirius muttered darkly.

**They will be marked on how well they perform each of the Tournament tasks and the champion with the highest total after task three will win the Triwizard Cup. The champions will be chosen by an impartial selector: the Goblet of Fire."**

'An impartial selector isn't always a good thing,' said Tonks, frowning.

Dumbledore sighed, knowing she was right. Yet another mistake to add to his long history of them.

**Dumbledore now took out his wand and tapped three times upon the top of the casket. The lid creaked slowly open. Dumbledore reached inside it and pulled out a large, roughly hewn wooden cup. It would have been entirely unremarkable had it not been full to the brim with dancing blue-white flames. Dumbledore closed the casket and placed the goblet carefully on top of it, where it would be clearly visible to everyone in the Hall.**

" **Anybody wishing to submit themselves as champion must write their name and school clearly upon a slip of parchment and drop it into the goblet," said Dumbledore.**

Eye twitch.

" **Aspiring champions have twenty-four hours in which to put their names forward. Tomorrow night, Halloween,**

'Halloween is a cursed day for me,' Harry muttered, thinking of every Halloween where bad things had happened.

**the goblet will return the names of the three it has judged most worthy to represent their schools. The goblet will be placed in the entrance hall tonight, where it will be freely accessible to all those wishing to compete.**

'Including psycho Death Eaters,' Sirius added, a little too cheerfully.

" **To ensure that no underage student yields to temptation," said Dumbledore, "I will be drawing an Age Line around the Goblet of Fire once it has been placed in the entrance hall. Nobody under the age of seventeen will be able to cross this line.**

" **Finally, I wish to impress upon any of you wishing to compete that this tournament is not to be entered into lightly.**

'True, that. Not pleasant at all,' Harry grumbled.

**Once a champion has been selected by the Goblet of Fire, he or she is obliged to see the tournament through to the end.**

'Convenient, really,' Sirius growled. 'That made it so the one who was underaged couldn't back out.'

**The placing of your name in the goblet constitutes a binding, magical contract. There can be no change of heart once you have become a champion. Please be very sure, therefore, that you are wholeheartedly prepared to play before you drop your name into the goblet. Now, I think it is time for bed. Good night to you all."**

" **An Age Line!" Fred Weasley said, his eyes glinting, as they all made their way across the Hall to the doors into the entrance hall. "Well, that should be fooled by an Aging Potion, shouldn't it?**

Alicia smirked pointedly at Fred and George.

**And once your name's in that goblet, you're laughing - it can't tell whether you're seventeen or not!"**

" **But I don't think anyone under seventeen will stand a chance," said Hermione, "we just haven't learned enough…"**

'Hermione was right there,' Harry murmured quietly.

'At least you came out all right each time, mate,' said Ron optimistically.

'Barely,' Hermione whispered to herself.

" **Speak for yourself," said George shortly. "You'll try and get in, won't you, Harry?"**

'What made you think that I'd try to get in, anyway?' Harry asked, faintly curious.

George shrugged. 'Dunno, really. It's just you, isn't it, all this life threatening stuff. You've had practice.'

'Ah yes,' said Harry sarcastically, adopting a sardonic smile. 'So _that's_ why I went after the Stone and went into the Chamber! I was training for the Tournament that I didn't even know existed!'

**Harry thought briefly of Dumbledore's insistence that nobody under seventeen should submit their name, but then the wonderful picture of himself winning the Triwizard Tournament filled his mind again…**

'Idiot!' Harry hissed to himself.

**He wondered how angry Dumbledore would be if someone younger than seventeen _did_ find a way to get over the Age Line.**

" **Where is he?" said Ron, who wasn't listening to a word of this conversation, but looking through the crowd to see what had become of Krum.**

Ron tinged red again.

" **Dumbledore didn't say where the Durmstrang people are sleeping, did he?"**

**But this query was answered almost instantly; they were level with the Slytherin table now, and Karkaroff had just bustled up to his students.**

" **Back to the ship, then," he was saying. "Viktor, how are you feeling? Did you eat enough? Should I send for some mulled wine from the kitchens?"**

'Perhaps I should put on an even more fruity-cheesy act, hmm?' Lee imitated Karkaroff, twirling an imaginary goatee.

'Perhaps some Sunny D, hmm?' Fred continued in the same voice.

**Harry saw Krum shake his head as he pulled his furs back on. "Professor, _I_ vood like some vine," said one of the other Durmstrang boys hopefully.**

" **I wasn't offering it to _you_ , Poliakoff," snapped Karkaroff, his warmly paternal air vanishing in an instant.**

'Poor Poliakoff,' Lisa murmured, Padma nodding her agreement.

" **I notice you have dribbled food all down the front of your robes again, disgusting boy -"**

'Oh, you absolutely foul little creature!' gasped George in a high pitched voice.

**Karkaroff turned and led his students toward the doors, reaching them at exactly the same moment as Harry, Ron, and Hermione. Harry stopped to let him walk through first.**

'What a gentleman,' cooed Fred in his Mrs Weasley impression.

" **Thank you," said Karkaroff carelessly, glancing at him.**

'Oh, look at that. A Death Eater with manners,' Sirius mused thoughtfully.

**And then Karkaroff froze.**

'Overwhelmed by the sheer awesomeness coming from Harry over here,' Fred added, snorting.

**He turned his head back to Harry and stared at him as though he couldn't believe his eyes.**

'He wants your autograph, Harry,' Seamus snickered.

Harry looked disgusted. 'Who am I, Lockhart?'

**Behind their headmaster, the students from Durmstrang came to a halt too. Karkaroff's eyes moved slowly up Harry's face and fixed upon his scar.**

'Like shoving a shiny object in people's faces,' Dean snorted.

**The Durmstrang students were staring curiously at Harry too.**

'Guess you're right there, Dean,' Seamus snickered.

**Out of the corner of his eye, Harry saw comprehension dawn on a few of their faces. The boy with food all down his front nudged the girl next to him and pointed openly at Harry's forehead.**

Harry immediately flattened his fringe over the blasted scar again.

" **Yeah, that's Harry Potter," said a growling voice from behind them.**

'The one who shall kick your arse,' said George in a completely serious voice.

**Professor Karkaroff spun around. Mad-Eye Moody was standing there, leaning heavily on his staff, his magical eye glaring unblinkingly at the Durmstrang headmaster.**

**The colour drained from Karkaroff's face as Harry watched. A terrible look of mingled fury and fear came over him.**

'I don't think he likes you, Mad-Eye,' Tonks commented casually.

'I'd be surprised if he did,' Mad-Eye growled.

" **You!" he said, staring at Moody as though unsure he was really seeing him.**

'You'd have to be _really_ nuts if you weren't sure if you were seeing Mad-Eye or not,' Tonks grinned.

" **Me," said Moody grimly. "And unless you've got anything to say to Potter, Karkaroff, you might want to move. You're blocking the doorway."**

A few people snickered.

**It was true; half the students in the Hall were now waiting behind them, looking over one another's shoulders to see what was causing the holdup.**

**Without another word, Professor Karkaroff swept his students away with him. Moody watched him until he was out of sight, his magical eye fixed upon his back, a look of intense dislike upon his mutilated face.**

'Crouch _really_ didn't like him,' Harry murmured under his breath.

**As the next day was Saturday,**

'I wonder what day comes afterwards,' sighed Lee in a mock frustrated voice. 'If only there was a song that could tell us this information!'

**most students would normally have breakfasted late. Harry, Ron, and Hermione, however, were not alone in rising much earlier than they usually did on weekends. When they went down into the entrance hall, they saw about twenty people milling around it, some of them eating toast,**

'Some were eating crumpets!'

**all examining the Goblet of Fire. It had been placed in the center of the hall on the stool that normally bore the Sorting Hat.**

'I bet the Sorting Hat wasn't pleased,' Ernie chuckled to Justin.

**A thin golden line had been traced on the floor, forming a circle ten feet around it in every direction.**

" **Anyone put their name in yet?" Ron asked a third-year girl eagerly.**

" **All the Durmstrang lot," she replied. "But I haven't seen anyone from Hogwarts yet."**

" **Bet some of them put it in last night after we'd all gone to bed," said Harry.**

 _Bet that's exactly what Crouch jr. did_ , Harry thought scathingly.

" **I would've if it had been me… wouldn't have wanted everyone watching. What if the goblet just gobbed you right back out again?"**

**Someone laughed behind Harry. Turning, he saw Fred, George, and Lee Jordan hurrying down the staircase, all three of them looking extremely excited.**

Fred and George currently looked sheepish, whilst their mother glared at them, 

" **Done it," Fred said in a triumphant whisper to Harry, Ron, and Hermione. "Just taken it."**

'That went well,' Ginny smirked at her twin brothers.

Molly just continued to purse her lips, 

" **What?" said Ron.**

" **The Aging Potion, dung brains," said Fred.**

" **One drop each," said George, rubbing his hands together with glee. "We only need to be a few months older."**

Fred and George groaned,

" **We're going to split the thousand Galleons between the three of us if one of us wins," said Lee, grinning broadly.**

'Not that we care about the winnings now,' said George cryptically, smirking at Harry.

Both Molly and Ginny noticed, 

" **I'm not sure this is going to work, you know," said Hermione warningly. "I'm sure Dumbledore will have thought of this."**

'I did, in fact, think of the possibility of Aging Potions, Miss Granger,' Dumbledore smiled serenely.

**Fred, George, and Lee ignored her.**

'As per usual,' Hermione muttered under her breath.

" **Ready?" Fred said to the other two, quivering with excitement. "C'mon, then - I'll go first -"**

Fred just sighed, he really should've have listened, 

**Harry watched, fascinated, as Fred pulled a slip of parchment out of his pocket bearing the words _Fred Weasley - Hogwarts_. Fred walked right up to the edge of the line and stood there, rocking on his toes like a diver preparing for a fifty-foot drop. Then, with the eyes of every person in the entrance hall upon him, he took a great breath and stepped over the line.**

**For a split second Harry thought it had worked - George certainly thought so, for he let out a yell of triumph and leapt after Fred -**

'The two of you are idiots,' said Ginny simply.

**but next moment, there was a loud sizzling sound, and both twins were hurled out of the golden circle as though they had been thrown by an invisible shot-putter.**

'That would be the charm kicking in,' Dumbledore smiled.

**They landed painfully, ten feet away on the cold stone floor, and to add insult to injury,**

Fred and George proceeded to glare at Dumbledore.

**there was a loud popping noise, and both of them sprouted identical long white beards.**

'No mistaking who came up with _that_ spell,' Snape muttered under his breath, only heard by McGonagall, who smirked in amusement.

**The entrance hall rang with laughter. Even Fred and George joined in, once they had gotten to their feet and taken a good look at each other's beards.**

'I still say mine was the more marvellous,' said George pompously.

'Nonsense, dear boy!' Fred replied in an equally stuck up voice, waving his hand slightly. 'We all know that _my_ beard was the most spiffing!'

" **I did warn you," said a deep, amused voice, and everyone turned to see Professor Dumbledore coming out of the Great Hall.**

'Translation: I told you so,' laughed Anthony.

**He surveyed Fred and George, his eyes twinkling. "I suggest you both go up to Madam Pomfrey. She is already tending to Miss Fawcett, of Ravenclaw, and Mr. Summers, of Hufflepuff, both of whom decided to age themselves up a little too.**

Said students promptly blushed, particularly the Ravenclaw. Madam Pomfrey sighed. The things that the students would do to get their names considered for a dangerous tournament...

**Though I must say, neither of their beards is anything like as fine as yours."**

'Absolutely spiffing, I'd say!'

'Marvellous, in fact!'

'Fantastically dandy!'

Alicia and Angelina glared at the twins until they shut up.

**Fred and George set off for the hospital wing, accompanied by Lee, who was howling with laughter,**

'He was still howling when we got to the hospital wing,' laughed George.

'Madam Pomfrey had to give him a Calming Draught,' snickered Fred.

**and Harry, Ron, and Hermione, also chortling, went in to breakfast.**

**The decorations in the Great Hall had changed this morning. As it was Halloween, a cloud of live bats was fluttering around the enchanted ceiling,**

'This year, we are proud to present the return of Professor Severus Snape's cousins,' Lee announced, but keeping his voice low enough so only the Gryffindors could hear. They all promptly started snickering.

**while hundreds of carved pumpkins leered from every corner. Harry led the way over to Dean and Seamus, who were discussing those Hogwarts students of seventeen or over who might be entering.**

" **There's a rumor going around that Warrington got up early and put his name in," Dean told Harry. "That big bloke from Slytherin who looks like a sloth."**

Most people laughed at that including Daphne and Astoria

Umbridge just glared at Dean who ignored it, 

**Harry, who had played Quidditch against Warrington, shook his head in disgust.**

'You aren't the only one feeling disgusted, Harry,' said Angelina, nodding.

" **We can't have a Slytherin champion!"**

" **And all the Hufflepuffs are talking about Diggory," said Seamus contemptuously. "But I wouldn't have thought he'd have wanted to risk his good looks."**

Seamus genuinely did look regretful about his words, considering everything that had happened at the end of that year.

" **Listen!" said Hermione suddenly.**

**People were cheering out in the entrance hall. They all swivelled around in their seats and saw Angelina Johnson coming into the Hall, grinning in an embarrassed sort of way.**

The Gryffindors all cheered again, causing Angelina to blush.

**A tall black girl who played Chaser on the Gryffindor Quidditch team, Angelina came over to them, sat down, and said, "Well, I've done it! Just put my name in!"**

" **You're kidding!" said Ron, looking impressed.**

" **Are you seventeen, then?" asked Harry.**

" **Course she is, can't see a beard, can you?" said Ron.**

'I should hope not,' said Angelina, feeling the skin on her face.

" **I had my birthday last week," said Angelina.**

" **Well, I'm glad someone from Gryffindor's entering," said Hermione. "I really hope you get it, Angelina!"**

" **Thanks, Hermione," said Angelina, smiling at her.**

" **Yeah, better you than Pretty-Boy Diggory," said Seamus, causing several Hufflepuffs passing their table to scowl heavily at him.**

'I'm sorry about that!' Seamus said to the looks he was receiving, particularly from the Hufflepuffs and Cho.

" **What're we going to do today, then?" Ron asked Harry and Hermione when they had finished breakfast and were leaving the Great Hall.**

" **We haven't been down to visit Hagrid yet," said Harry.**

''Bout time you visited,' Hagrid mock grumbled, although the teasing tone could still be heard.

" **Okay," said Ron, "just as long as he doesn't ask us to donate a few fingers to the skrewts."**

 _It wouldn't surprise me if he did. Filthy half-breed_ , Umbridge thought with deep contempt.

**A look of great excitement suddenly dawned on Hermione's face.**

" **I've just realized - I haven't asked Hagrid to join S.P.E.W. yet!" she said brightly.**

Many people groaned in sympathy.

" **Wait for me, will you, while I nip upstairs and get the badges?"**

" **What is it with her?" said Ron, exasperated, as Hermione ran away up the marble staircase.**

" **Hey, Ron," said Harry suddenly. "It's your friend…"**

'You went out of your way that year about that, didn't you?' Ron mock glared at his best friend.

Harry shrugged. 'What can I say? Fun times, Ron. I could have made fun about the dress robes, but I didn't.' He finished speaking with a grin.

**The students from Beauxbatons were coming through the front doors from the grounds, among them, the veela-girl. Those gathered around the Goblet of Fire stood back to let them pass, watching eagerly.**

**Madame Maxime entered the hall behind her students and organized them into a line. One by one, the Beauxbatons students stepped across the Age Line and dropped their slips of parchment into the blue-white flames. As each name entered the fire, it turned briefly red and emitted sparks.**

" **What d'you reckon'll happen to the ones who aren't chosen?" Ron muttered to Harry as the veela-girl dropped her parchment into the Goblet of Fire. "Reckon they'll go back to school, or hang around to watch the tournament?"**

'More like stand around. They didn't really have anything to do,' said Dean, shrugging.

" **Dunno," said Harry. "Hang around, I suppose… Madame Maxime's staying to judge, isn't she?"**

**When all the Beauxbatons students had submitted their names, Madame Maxime led them back out of the hall and out onto the grounds again.**

" **Where are _they_ sleeping, then?" said Ron, moving toward the front doors and staring after them.**

**A loud rattling noise behind them announced Hermione's reappearance with the box of S.P.E.W. badges.**

'Joy,' groaned Zabini.

" **Oh good, hurry up," said Ron, and he jumped down the stone steps, keeping his eyes on the back of the veela-girl, who was now halfway across the lawn with Madame Maxime.**

Ron blushed red again.

**As they neared Hagrid's cabin on the edge of the Forbidden Forest, the mystery of the Beauxbatons' sleeping quarters was solved. The gigantic powder-blue carriage in which they had arrived had been parked two hundred yards from Hagrid's front door,**

'I'm sure Hagrid was thrilled about that,' Ron muttered to Harry, who snickered.

**and the students were climbing back inside it. The elephantine flying horses that had pulled the carriage were now grazing in a makeshift paddock alongside it. Harry knocked on Hagrid's door, and Fang's booming barks answered instantly.**

"' **Bout time!" said Hagrid, when he'd flung open the door. "Thought you lot'd forgotten where I live!"**

'How could we forget?' Harry sighed. 'So many memories in there...'

" **We've been really busy, Hag -" Hermione started to say, but then she stopped dead, looking up at Hagrid, apparently lost for words.**

**Hagrid was wearing his best (and very horrible) hairy brown suit, plus a checked yellow-and-orange tie.**

'Someone's getting dressed up for someone, eh Hagrid?' smirked Fred, raising his eyebrows.

**This wasn't the worst of it, though;**

Malfoy raised his eyebrow.

**he had evidently tried to tame his hair, using large quantities of what appeared to be axle grease.**

Malfoy just looked ill now.

**It was now slicked down into two bunches - perhaps he had tried a ponytail like Bill's, but found he had too much hair.**

several people giggled at the mental image of Hagrid having a ponytail like Bill's.

**The look didn't really suit Hagrid at all. For a moment, Hermione goggled at him, then, obviously deciding not to comment, she said, "Erm - where are the skrewts."**

'Hopefully far away,' someone from the Ravenclaws muttered.

" **Out by the pumpkin patch," said Hagrid happily. "They're gettin' massive, mus' be nearly three foot long now.**

'Oh, fun times, then,' Nott groaned.

**On'y trouble is, they've started killin' each other."**

'Shame,' Terry sighed.

" **Oh no, really?" said Hermione, shooting a repressive look at Ron, who, staring at Hagrid's odd hairstyle,**

Hermione muttered something about certain boys lacking tact.

**had just opened his mouth to say something about it.**

" **Yeah," said Hagrid sadly. "S' okay, though, I've got 'em in separate boxes now. Still got abou' twenty."**

" **Well, that's lucky," said Ron.**

Ron winced at his past words, 

**Hagrid missed the sarcasm.**

**Hagrid's cabin comprised a single room, in one corner of which was a gigantic bed covered in a patchwork quilt. A similarly enormous wooden table and chairs stood in front of the fire beneath the quantity of cured hams and dead birds hanging from the ceiling. They sat down at the table while Hagrid started to make tea, and were soon immersed in yet more discussion of the Triwizard Tournament. Hagrid seemed quite as excited about it as they were.**

'Nothing to do with the fact that you got to be around dragons, Hagrid,' Ron smirked. 'Not that reason at all!'

" **You wait," he said, grinning. "You jus' wait. Yer going ter see some stuff yeh've never seen before. Firs' task…**

'Was a nightmare,' Harry concluded grimly.

**ah, but I'm not supposed ter say."**

" **Go on, Hagrid!" Harry, Ron, and Hermione urged him, but he just shook his head, grinning.**

" **I don' want ter spoil it fer yeh," said Hagrid. "But it's gonna be spectacular, I'll tell yeh that. Them champions're going ter have their work cut out.**

'Got that bit right,' Harry muttered. He couldn't help but cringe when he thought about getting hit by the tail spikes.

**Never thought I'd live ter see the Triwizard Tournament played again!"**

**They ended up having lunch with Hagrid, though they didn't eat much – Hagrid had made what he said was a beef casserole, but after Hermione unearthed a large talon in hers,**

Hagrid looked sheepish about that.

**she, Harry, and Ron rather lost their appetites. However, they enjoyed themselves trying to make Hagrid tell them what the tasks in the tournament were going to be, speculating which of the entrants were likely to be selected as champions, and wondering whether Fred and George were beardless yet.**

'Glad we made it into your conversation,' Fred grinned at the three.

**A light rain had started to fall by midafternoon; it was very cozy sitting by the fire, listening to the gentle patter of the drops on the window, watching Hagrid darning his socks and arguing with Hermione about house-elves - for he flatly refused to join S.P.E.W. when she showed him her badges.**

" **It'd be doin' 'em an unkindness, Hermione," he said gravely, threading a massive bone needle with thick yellow yarn. "It's in their nature ter look after humans, that's what they like, see? Yeh'd be makin' 'em unhappy ter take away their work, an' insutin' 'em if yeh tried ter pay 'em."**

Many nodded in agreement, and Hermione just huffed.

" **But Harry set Dobby free, and he was over the moon about it!" said Hermione. " _And_ we heard he's asking for wages now!"**

'Yeah well, that's Dobby, isn't it?' Ron shrugged.

" **Yeah, well, yeh get weirdos in every breed. I'm not sayin' there isn't the odd elf who'd take freedom, but yeh'll never persuade most of 'em ter do it - no, nothin' doin', Hermione."**

**Hermione looked very cross indeed and stuffed her box of badges back into her cloak pocket.**

'Temper, temper,' said the twins mockingly, wagging a disapproving finger. Hermione glared at them evenly.

**By half past five it was growing dark, and Ron, Harry, and Hermione decided it was time to get back up to the castle for the Halloween feast - and, more important, the announcement of the school champions.**

Harry's expression grew dark again.

" **I'll come with yeh," said Hagrid, putting away his darning. "Jus' give us a sec."**

**Hagrid got up, went across to the chest of drawers beside his bed, and began searching for something inside it. They didn't pay too much attention until a truly horrible smell reached their nostrils.**

Hagrid blushed beneath his beard.

**Coughing, Ron said, "Hagrid, what's that?"**

" **Eh?" said Hagrid, turning around with a large bottle in his hand. "Don' yeh like it?"**

" **Is that aftershave?" said Hermione in a slightly choked voice.**

Many people, students or otherwise, turned to look at Hagrid with incredulous expressions.

" **Er - eau de cologne," Hagrid muttered. He was blushing.**

'Oooh,' squealed Lavender, grinning widely. 'Hagrid fancies someone!'

" **Maybe it's a bit much," he said gruffly. "I'll go take it off, hang on…"**

**He stumped out of the cabin, and they saw him washing himself vigorously in the water barrel outside the window.**

" **Eau de cologne?" said Hermione in amazement. " _Hagrid_?"**

'Love,' sighed Parvati dreamily.

" **And what's with the hair and the suit?" said Harry in an undertone.**

" **Look!" said Ron suddenly, pointing out of the window. Hagrid had just straightened up and turned 'round. If he had been blushing before, it was nothing to what he was doing now.**

The twins had an evil mischievous glint in their eye that just told everyone that they were going to tease Hagrid mercilessly about this.

**Getting to their feet very cautiously, so that Hagrid wouldn't spot them, Harry, Ron, and Hermione peered through the window and saw that Madame Maxime and the Beauxbatons students had just emerged from their carriage, clearly about to set off for the feast too. They couldn't hear what Hagrid was saying, but he was talking to Madame Maxime with a rapt, misty-eyed expression Harry had only ever seen him wear once before - when he had been looking at the baby dragon, Norbert.**

'I'm sure she loved that. He loves her as much as he loved Norbert,' Ron sniggered.

" **He's going up to the castle with her!" said Hermione indignantly. "I thought he was waiting for us!"**

'Sorry,' Hagrid apologised, looking extremely sheepish again.

**Without so much as a backward glance at his cabin, Hagrid was trudging off up the grounds with Madame Maxime, the Beaux-batons students following in their wake, jogging to keep up with their enormous strides.**

" **He fancies her!" said Ron incredulously. "Well, if they end up having children, they'll be setting a world record - bet any baby of theirs would weigh about a ton."**

Everyone chuckled again at the thought.

**They let themselves out of the cabin and shut the door behind them. It was surprisingly dark outside. Drawing their cloaks more closely around themselves, they set off up the sloping lawns.**

" **Ooh it's them, look!" Hermione whispered.**

"Shut it," snarled Hermione pointing her wand at the twins,

**The Durmstrang party was walking up toward the castle from the lake. Viktor Krum was walking side by side with Karkaroff, and the other Durmstrang students were straggling along behind them. Ron watched Krum excitedly, but Krum did not look around as he reached the front doors a little ahead of Hermione, Ron, and Harry and proceeded through them.**

Harry couldn't stop gritting his teeth, 

**When they entered the candlelit Great Hall it was almost full. The Goblet of Fire had been moved; it was now standing in front of Dumbledore's empty chair at the teachers' table. Fred and George - clean-shaven again -**

Fred and George sighed in relief, feeling their faces.

**seemed to have taken their disappointment fairly well.**

" **Hope it's Angelina," said Fred as Harry, Ron, and Hermione sat down.**

Angelina grinned at both of the twins, 

" **So do I!" said Hermione breathlessly. "Well, we'll soon know!"**

**The Halloween feast seemed to take much longer than usual. Perhaps because it was their second feast in two days, Harry didn't seem to fancy the extravagantly prepared food as much as he would have normally.**

'You weren't the only one,' Daphne nodded.

**Like everyone else in the Hall, judging by the constantly craning necks, the impatient expressions on every face, the fidgeting, and the standing up to see whether Dumbledore had finished eating yet,**

A few people blushed red as Dumbledore chuckled.

**Harry simply wanted the plates to clear, and to hear who had been selected as champions.**

'I've changed my mind,' Harry grumbled to himself.

**At long last, the golden plates returned to their original spotless state; there was a sharp upswing in the level of noise within the Hall, which died away almost instantly as Dumbledore got to his feet. On either side of him, Professor Karkaroff and Madame Maxime looked as tense and expectant as anyone. Ludo Bagman was beaming and winking at various students.**

Many of the professors sighed and rolled their eyes at Ludo Bagman's antics.

**Mr. Crouch, however, looked quite uninterested, almost bored.**

'The Imperius,' Harry murmured under his breath, unintelligible to anyone else.

" **Well, the goblet is almost ready to make its decision," said Dumbledore. "I estimate that it requires one more minute. Now, when the champions' names are called, I would ask them please to come up to the top of the Hall, walk along the staff table, and go through into the next chamber" - he indicated the door behind the staff table - "where they will be receiving their first instructions."**

**He took out his wand and gave a great sweeping wave with it; at once, all the candles except those inside the carved pumpkins were extinguished, plunging them into a state of semidarkness.**

Harry grimaced.

**The Goblet of Fire now shone more brightly than anything in the whole Hall, the sparkling bright, bluey-whiteness of the flames almost painful on the eyes. Everyone watched, waiting… A few people kept checking their watches…**

'A few people started whistling to themselves at the back,' laughed a Ravenclaw.

" **Any second," Lee Jordan whispered, two seats away from Harry.**

**The flames inside the goblet turned suddenly red again. Sparks began to fly from it. Next moment, a tongue of flame shot into the air, a charred piece of parchment fluttered out of it - the whole room gasped.**

**Dumbledore caught the piece of parchment and held it at arm's length so that he could read it by the light of the flames, which had turned back to blue-white.**

" **The champion for Durmstrang," he read, in a strong, clear voice, "will be Viktor Krum."**

Hermione couldn't help but smile, causing Ron to scowl.

" **No surprises there!" yelled Ron as a storm of applause and cheering swept the Hall. Harry saw Viktor Krum rise from the Slytherin table and slouch up toward Dumbledore; he turned right, walked along, the staff table, and disappeared through the door into the next chamber.**

" **Bravo, Viktor!" boomed Karkaroff, so loudly that everyone could hear him, even over all the applause. "Knew you had it in you!"**

'He _must_ have been loud,' Tonks grimaced.

**The clapping and chatting died down. Now everyone's attention was focused again on the goblet, which, seconds later, turned red once more. A second piece of parchment shot out of it, propelled by the flames.**

" **The champion for Beauxbatons," said Dumbledore, "is Fleur Delacour!"**

'Now I think about it, I'm glad Fleur got it,' Harry smiled slightly. 'She did well in it.'

" **It's her, Ron!" Harry shouted as the girl who so resembled a veela got gracefully to her feet, shook back her sheet of silvery blonde hair, and swept up between the Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff tables.**

" **Oh look, they're all disappointed," Hermione said over the noise, nodding toward the remainder of the Beauxbatons party. "Disappointed" was a bit of an understatement, Harry thought. Two of the girls who had not been selected had dissolved into tears and were sobbing with their heads on their arms.**

Hermione just rolled her eyes. Honestly...

**When Fleur Delacour too had vanished into the side chamber, silence fell again, but this time it was a silence so stiff with excitement you could almost taste it. The Hogwarts champion next…**

Harry felt the eye twitch again.

**And the Goblet of Fire turned red once more; sparks showered out of it; the tongue of flame shot high into the air, and from its tip Dumbledore pulled the third piece of parchment.**

" **The Hogwarts champion," he called, "is Cedric Diggory!"**

In the Hall, there was a moment of silence, in honour of the fallen champion.

" **No!" said Ron loudly, but nobody heard him except Harry;**

Ron looked both sheepish and guilty.

**the uproar from the next table was too great. Every single Hufflepuff had jumped to his or her feet, screaming and stamping, as Cedric made his way past them, grinning broadly,**

Harry sighed, he really wasn't looking forward to listening constantly about Cedric, 

**and headed off toward the chamber behind the teachers' table. Indeed, the applause for Cedric went on so long that it was some time before Dumbledore could make himself heard again.**

" **Excellent!" Dumbledore called happily as at last the tumult died down. "Well, we now have our three champions. I am sure I can count upon all of you, including the remaining students from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang, to give your champions every ounce of support you can muster. By cheering your champion on, you will contribute in a very real —"**

Harry just shook his head, as if to clear an itch, and Sirius took to glaring at Dumbledore again.

**But Dumbledore suddenly stopped speaking, and it was apparent to everybody what had distracted him.**

"And here we go" mumbled Harry, 

**The fire in the goblet had just turned red again. Sparks were flying out of it. A long flame shot suddenly into the air, and borne upon it was another piece of parchment.**

Daphne and Hermione gave Harry worried looks as they noticed his eye twitch, 

**Automatically, it seemed, Dumbledore reached out a long hand and seized the parchment. He held it out and stared at the name written upon it. There was a long pause, during which Dumbledore stared at the slip in his hands, and everyone in the room stared at Dumbledore. And then Dumbledore cleared his throat and read out - " _Harry Potter_."**

'End of the chapter,' Hannah announced to the silent Hall.

'Now do you all believe me about not putting my name in that stupid Goblet?' Harry asked to the Hall in general, feeling a stab of painful anger quite unconnected to his own irritation. He noticed that several people were looking sheepish now, and he received apologies from those who had doubted his word, including the Hufflepuffs.

When the noise had died down, Hannah held up the book for the next taking.

'I will, I suppose,' Lavender shrugged, and she Summoned the book to her hand and turned to the next chapter.


	20. Four Champions

**Chapter 17 The Four Champions** read Lavender

**Harry sat there, aware that every head in the Great Hall had turned to look at him. He was stunned. He felt numb. He was surely dreaming. He had not heard correctly.**

"We all thought the same thing," said Dean gesturing to the other Gryffindors

Harry just glared at the table,

**There was no applause. A buzzing, as though of angry bees, was starting to fill the Hall; some students were standing up to get a better look at Harry as he sat, frozen, in his seat.**

"Once again people stare," said Harry loudly as his scar started to prickle

Quite a few people felt guilty,

**Up at the top table, Professor McGonagall had got to her feet and swept past Ludo Bagman and Professor Karkaroff to whisper urgently to Professor Dumbledore, who bent his ear toward her, frowning slightly.**

Harry looked at her

"I was asking how this was possible," said McGonagall "But I assure I did not believe for one moment you had put your own name in"

Harry smiled at her gratefully, whilst around more people shifted guiltily

**Harry turned to Ron and Hermione; beyond them, he saw the long Gryffindor table all watching him, openmouthed.**

**"I didn't put my name in," Harry said blankly. "You know I didn't. "**

**Both of them stared just as blankly back.**

"You didn't believe" Remus asked frowning and Sirius didn't look much happier

"Of course I did" said Hermione immediately "I was just in shock"

Ron however didn't answer and his mother noticed his guilty look

"You didn't believe him" she asked

Ron shook his head and mumbled a quiet "No"

"How could you," his mother asked sounding very disappointed

McGonagall, Sirius and Remus were looking upset as well

"Look it's in the past," said Harry coming to his friends' defence "Please continue" Lavender

**At the top table, Professor Dumbledore had straightened up, nodding to Professor McGonagall.**

**"Harry Potter!" he called again. "Harry! Up here, if you please!"**

Harry once again began gritting his teeth, he was not looking forward to this

**"Go on," Hermione whispered, giving Harry a slight push.**

"I knew you wouldn't go otherwise," said Hermione and Harry nodded at her slightly grateful

**Harry got to his feet, trod on the hem of his robes, and stumbled slightly.**

Harry grimaced at the memory, it felt like his feet had turned to lead,

**He set off up the gap between the Gryffindor and Hufflepuff tables. It felt like an immensely long walk;**

Harry nodded,

**the top table didn't seem to be getting any nearer at all, and he could feel hundreds and hundreds of eyes upon him, as though each were a searchlight. The buzzing grew louder and louder. After what seemed like an hour, he was right in front of Dumbledore, feeling the stares of all the teachers upon him.**

**"Well. . . through the door, Harry," said Dumbledore. He wasn't smiling.**

The students all sat forward now, they wanted to know what had been said

**Harry moved off along the teachers' table. Hagrid was seated right at the end. He did not wink at Harry, or wave, or give any of his usual signs of greeting. He looked completely astonished**

"I was," said Hagrid "But I didn't believe for a second you had entered yourself"

Harry smiled at him gratefully,

**and stared at Harry as he passed like everyone else. Harry went through the door out of the Great Hall and found himself in a smaller room, lined with paintings of witches and wizards. A handsome fire was roaring in the fireplace opposite him.**

They sat forward even more

**The faces in the portraits turned to look at him as he entered. He saw a wizened witch flit out of the frame of her picture and into the one next to it, which contained a wizard with a walrus moustache. The wizened witch started whispering in his ear.**

Remus shook his head, the portraits really were so nosy,

**Viktor Krum, Cedric Diggory, and Fleur Delacour were grouped around the fire. They looked strangely impressive, silhouetted against the flames. Krum, hunched-up and brooding,**

"Had you been talking much with each other," asked Neville curiously

Fleur just shrugged, "Not really we said hello to each other but the reality set in once we were away from the hall,"

Neville nodded, that made sense,

**was leaning against the mantelpiece, slightly apart from the other two. Cedric was standing with his hands behind his back, staring into the fire. Fleur Delacour looked around when Harry walked in and threw back her sheet of long, silvery hair.**

**"What is it?" she said. "Do zey want us back in ze Hall?"**

"Not at that moment, it was chaos," said Hermione

The other students nodded, everyone was in an uproar,

**She thought he had come to deliver a message. Harry didn't know how to explain what had just happened. He just stood there, looking at the three champions. It struck him how very tall all of them were.**

**There was a sound of scurrying feet behind him, and Ludo Bagman entered the room. He took Harry by the arm and led him forward.**

"Bet you didn't appreciate that," said Lee

"Not even remotely" stated Harry, all he had wanted was for the floor to swallow him up

**"Extraordinary!" he muttered, squeezing Harry's arm. "Absolutely extraordinary! Gentlemen. . . lady," he added, approaching the fireside and addressing the other three. "May I introduce - incredible though it may seem - the fourth Triwizard champion?"**

"We couldn't believe our ears," said Fleur and Viktor nodded

Harry grimaced again, his scar beginning to prickle, noticing his look Daphne squeezed his hand comfortingly and he smiled at her,

**Viktor Krum straightened up. His surly face darkened as he surveyed Harry. Cedric looked nonplussed. He looked from Bagman to Harry and back again as though sure he must have misheard what Bagman had said. Fleur Delacour, however, tossed her hair, smiling, and said, "Oh, vairy funny joke, Meester Bagman. "**

"Sorry about that," said Fleur and Harry just waved her off

**"Joke?" Bagman repeated, bewildered. "No, no, not at all! Harry's name just came out of the Goblet of Fire!"**

"Unfortunately," muttered Harry

**Krum's thick eyebrows contracted slightly. Cedric was still looking politely bewildered. Fleur frowned.**

**"But evidently zair 'as been a mistake,"**

"I wish," muttered Harry again,

**she said contemptuously to Bagman. "'E cannot compete. 'E is too young. "**

"Yes, yes I was" said Harry tersely

Sirius, McGonagall and Lupin nodded in agreement,

**"Well. . . it is amazing," said Bagman,**

"No, it wasn't" snarled Sirius angrily,

**rubbing his smooth chin and smiling down at Harry. "But, as you know, the age restriction was only imposed this year as an extra safety measure. And as his name's come out of the goblet. . . I mean, I don't think there can be any ducking out at this stage. . . . It's down in the rules, you're obliged. . . Harry will just have to do the best he -"**

"The best he can," said Sirius through gritted teeth

"Did you even try to get him out of competing" asked Remus not looking too happy either

"I'm would have if I could," said Dumbledore which didn't placate either of them

**The door behind them opened again, and a large group of people came in: Professor Dumbledore, followed closely by Mr. Crouch, Professor Karkaroff, Madame Maxime, Professor McGonagall, and Professor Snape. Harry heard the buzzing of the hundreds of students on the other side of the wall, before Professor McGonagall closed the door.**

"They had only just calmed down" stated McGonagall

**"Madame Maxime!" said Fleur at once, striding over to her headmistress. "Zey are saying zat zis little boy is to compete also!"**

**Somewhere under Harry's numb disbelief, he felt a ripple of anger. Little boy?**

"Don't worry, I understand?" said Harry at the look on her face

**Madame Maxime had drawn herself up to her full, and considerable, height. The top of her handsome head brushed the candle-filled chandelier, and her gigantic black-satin bosom swelled.**

**"What is ze meaning of zis, Dumbly-dorr?" she said imperiously.**

"You'll find in the book," said Harry as number students looked they would burst if they didn't find out how

**"I'd rather like to know that myself, Dumbledore," said Professor Karkaroff. He was wearing a steely smile, and his blue eyes were like chips of ice. "Two Hogwarts champions? I don't remember anyone telling me the host school is allowed two champions - or have I not read the rules carefully enough?"**

**He gave a short and nasty laugh.**

"Karkaroff always was a nasty piece of work," said Sirius and Mad-eye looked in full agreement at that

**"C'est impossible," said Madame Maxime, whose enormous hand with its many superb opals was resting upon Fleur's shoulder. "'Ogwarts cannot 'ave two champions. It is most injust. "**

"For me and the other two schools," said Harry loudly, more and more people were feeling guilty now

Ron on the other hand was just staring at the table in front of him, soon everyone would find out how he reacted

**"We were under the impression that your Age Line would keep out younger contestants, Dumbledore," said Karkaroff, his steely smile still in place, though his eyes were colder than ever. "Otherwise, we would, of course, have brought along a wider selection of candidates from our own schools. "**

"I doubt it" muttered Harry to Hermione "I bet he made it so only Viktor was chosen"

Hermione thought about of a second and then nodded her agreement

**"It's no one's fault but Potter's, Karkaroff," said Snape softly. His black eyes were alight with malice. "Don't go blaming Dumbledore for Potter's determination to break rules. He has been crossing lines ever since he arrived here -"**

"Did you really think that a fourteen-year-old could get his name into the goblet?" asked Sirius

"Be quiet Black" hissed Snape softly

Lavender read on before an argument could ensue

**"Thank you, Severus," said Dumbledore firmly, and Snape went quiet, though his eyes still glinted malevolently through his curtain of greasy black hair.**

**Professor Dumbledore was now looking down at Harry, who looked right back at him, trying to discern the expression of the eyes behind the half-moon spectacles.**

**"Did you put your name into the Goblet of Fire, Harry?" he asked calmly.**

"No," said Harry loudly and people were now feeling unbearably guilty for doubting him

**"No," said Harry. He was very aware of everybody watching him closely. Snape made a soft noise of impatient disbelief in the shadows.**

"Did you really think I would" Harry snapped at Snape

"Don't talk to me like that Potter" sneered Snape

"Severus enough" barked McGonagall

**"Did you ask an older student to put it into the Goblet of Fire for you?" said Professor Dumbledore, ignoring Snape.**

**"No," said Harry vehemently.**

"As I said, I didn't and I didn't get anyone else to do it for me" said Harry

**"Ah, but of course 'e is lying!" cried Madame Maxime. Snape was now shaking his head, his lip curling.**

**"He could not have crossed the Age Line," said Professor McGonagall sharply. "I am sure we are all agreed on that -"**

**"Dumbly-dorr must 'ave made a mistake wiz ze line," said Madame Maxime, shrugging.**

**"It is possible, of course," said Dumbledore politely.**

"I do make errors," said Dumbledore

Umbridge looked up at this "So you admit you made an error" she shrieked, causing people to jump as most had forgotten she was there, "Therefore Mr Potter did enter himself"

"Sit down Dolores" snapped Fudge looking very angry "I do not believe that Mr Potter entered himself in the tournament"

Harry looked surprised and Umbridge looked angry

**"Dumbledore, you know perfectly well you did not make a mistake!" said Professor McGonagall angrily. "Really, what nonsense! Harry could not have crossed the line himself, and as Professor Dumbledore believes that he did not persuade an older student to do it for him, I'm sure that should be good enough for everybody else!"**

"Dumbledore's word should be good enough for anybody," said McGonagall with a pointed look at Fudge who had the decency to look ashamed

Dumbledore just looked at the table, he wasn't infallible

**She shot a very angry look at Professor Snape.**

**"Mr Crouch. . . Mr Bagman," said Karkaroff, his voice unctuous once more, "you are our - er - objective judges. Surely you will agree that this is most irregular?"**

"More like an intentional trap" muttered Harry that only Hermione and Daphne heard, and the latter frowned at that

**Bagman wiped his round, boyish face with his handkerchief and looked at Mr Crouch, who was standing outside the circle of the firelight,**

Sirius gave the book a nasty look,

**his face half-hidden in shadow. He looked slightly eerie, the half-darkness making him look much older, giving him an almost skull-like appearance. When he spoke, however, it was in his usual curt voice.**

"Nothing changed then" growled Sirius

**"We must follow the rules, and the rules state clearly that those people whose names come out of the Goblet of Fire are bound to compete in the tournament. "**

"How convenient" muttered Remus not looking happy either

**"Well, Barty knows the rule book back to front," said Bagman, beaming and turning back to Karkaroff and Madame Maxime, as though the matter was now closed.**

"Yeah, he knows the rules" muttered Harry "Only follows them when it suits him

Again Daphne heard and frowned,

**"I insist upon resubmitting the names of the rest of my students," said Karkaroff. He had dropped his unctuous tone and his smile now. His face wore a very ugly look indeed. "You will set up the Goblet of Fire once more, and we will continue adding names until each school has two champions. It's only fair, Dumbledore. "**

Harry frowned, he was sure Karkaroff wouldn't have wanted anyone but Krum competing

**"But Karkaroff, it doesn't work like that," said Bagman. "The Goblet of Fire's just gone out - it won't reignite until the start of the next tournament -"**

**"- in which Durmstrang will most certainly not be competing!" exploded Karkaroff. "After all our meetings and negotiations and compromises, I little expected something of this nature to occur! I have half a mind to leave now!"**

"Empty threat," said Sirius

Severus nodded slightly in agreement,

**"Empty threat, Karkaroff," growled a voice from near the door. "You can't leave your champion now. He's got to compete. They've all got to compete. Binding magical contract, like Dumbledore, said. Convenient, eh?"**

"He used to make a lot of those," said Sirius again

**Moody had just entered the room. He limped toward the fire, and with every right step he took, there was a loud clunk.**

**"Convenient?" said Karkaroff. "I'm afraid I don't understand you, Moody. "**

"Oh he understood perfectly well" growled Moody he was glad the imposter could make Karkaroff uncomfortable

**Harry could tell he was trying to sound disdainful, as though what Moody was saying was barely worth his notice, but his hands gave him away; they had balled themselves into fists.**

"Good lad Potter," said Moody "Notice details like that will keep you alive"

**"Don't you?" said Moody quietly. "It's very simple, Karkaroff. Someone put Potter's name in that goblet knowing he'd have to compete if it came out. "**

Many people paused at that, they hadn't thought about that

**"Evidently, someone 'oo wished to give 'Ogwarts two bites at ze apple!" said Madame Maxime.**

"Not quite," muttered Harry

**"I quite agree, Madame Maxime," said Karkaroff, bowing to her. "I shall be lodging complaints with the Ministry of Magic and the International Confederation of Wizards -"**

"I really doubt he would go through with that" said Remus

**"If anyone's got a reason to complain, it's Potter," growled Moody, "but. . . funny thing. . . I don't hear him saying a word. . . "**

"I'm used to being in life-threatening situations," said Harry in a tone one would use to discuss the weather

Sirius, Hermione, Daphne and Ginny all frowned

**"Why should 'e complain?" burst out Fleur Delacour, stamping her foot. "'E 'as ze chance to compete, 'isn't 'e? We 'ave all been 'oping to be chosen for weeks and weeks! Ze honour for our schools! A thousand Galleons in prize money - zis is a chance many would die for!"**

"And that many have died for," said McGonagall stiffly "It was the reason the tournament, should never have been restarted"

**"Maybe someone's hoping Potter is going to die for it," said Moody, with the merest trace of a growl.**

"Oh someone was," said Harry loudly and many people frowned at those words

**An extremely tense silence followed these words. Ludo Bagman, who was looking very anxious indeed, bounced nervously up and down on his feet and said, "Moody, old man. . . what a thing to say!"**

"Not really," said Harry "Not when it concerns me"

More people began to think if that was the case then who could've put his name in the goblet

**"We all know Professor Moody considers the morning wasted if he hasn't discovered six plots to murder him before lunchtime," said Karkaroff loudly. "Apparently he is now teaching his students to fear assassination too. An odd quality in a Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Dumbledore, but no doubt you had your reasons.**

"I always have reasons" said Dumbledore

**"Imagining things, am I?" growled Moody. "Seeing things, eh? It was a skilled witch or wizard who put the boy's name in that goblet. . . "**

Harry once again scowled, oh the wizard was indeed skilled

**"Ah, what evidence is zere of zat?" said Madame Maxime, throwing up her huge hands.**

Hermione and Daphne rolled their eyes,

**"Because they hoodwinked a very powerful magical object!" said Moody. "It would have needed an exceptionally strong Confundus Charm to bamboozle that goblet into forgetting that only three schools compete in the tournament. . . . I'm guessing they submitted Potter's name under a fourth school, to make sure he was the only one in his category. . . . "**

Yet again people began to think, it really was unlikely that a fourteen year could have done that

**"You seem to have given this a great deal of thought, Moody," said Karkaroff coldly, "and a very ingenious theory it is - though of course, I heard you** **recently got it into your head that one of your birthday presents contained a cunningly disguised basilisk egg,**

Several people raised their eyebrows at that

**and smashed it to pieces before realizing it was a carriage clock. So you'll understand if we don't take you entirely seriously. . . . "**

"I would take him seriously" said Harry loudly and Moody looked quite pleased at that

Umbridge however just sneered, trust the half-blood to stand up for the crazy old man

**"There are those who'll turn innocent occasions to their advantage," Moody retorted in a menacing voice. "It's my job to think the way Dark wizards do, Karkaroff - as you ought to remember. . .**

Moody-eye couldn't resist smirking, whilst he loathed Crouch Jr, he was glad that he made Kakaroff squirm

**"Alastor!" said Dumbledore warningly. Harry wondered for a moment whom he was speaking to, but then realized "Mad-Eye" could hardly be Moody's real first name. Moody fell silent, though still surveying Karkaroff with satisfaction - Karkaroff's face was burning.**

Harry smirked he knew why

**"How this situation arose, we do not know," said Dumbledore, speaking to everyone gathered in the room. "It seems to me, however, that we have no choice but to accept it. Both Cedric and Harry have been chosen to compete in the Tournament. This, therefore, they will do. . . . "**

"Unfortunately" muttered Harry

**"Ah, but Dumbly-dorr -"**

**"My dear Madame Maxime, if you have an alternative, I would be delighted to hear it. "**

Harry sighed, he would have loved an alternative

**Dumbledore waited, but Madame Maxime did not speak, she merely glared. She wasn't the only one either. Snape looked furious; Karkaroff livid; Bagman, however, looked rather excited.**

"Of course" muttered Fred and George not looking happy

**"Well, shall we crack on, then?" he said, rubbing his hands together and smiling around the room. "Got to give our champions their instructions, haven't we? Barty, want to do the honors?"**

"He would love to" scowled Sirius

**Mr. Crouch seemed to come out of a deep reverie.**

**"Yes," he said, "instructions. Yes. . . the first task. . . "**

"Was stupid and dangerous" scowled Hermione, she still thought all of the tasks were cruel

**He moved forward into the firelight. Close up, Harry thought he looked ill. There were dark shadows beneath his eyes and a thin, papery look about his wrinkled skin that had not been there at the Quidditch World Cup.**

Harry sat up, had this been when Crouch Jr, took control of his father

**"The first task is designed to test your daring," he told Harry, Cedric, Fleur, and Viktor, "so we are not going to be telling you what it is. Courage in the face of the unknown is an important quality in a wizard. . . very important. . . .**

"There are better ways to test that, than facing a fully grown dragon" growled Sirius sounding very dangerous and causing several Gryffindors to move slightly away from him

**"The first task will take place on November the twenty-fourth, in front of the other students and the panel of judges.**

Sirius and Remus both wore identical angry looks,

**"The champions are not permitted to ask for or accept help of any kind from their teachers to complete the tasks in the tournament. The champions will face the first challenge armed only with their wands.**

"Or brooms" said Harry cracking a smile for the first time in a bit

Oliver looked up excitedly,

**They will receive information about the second task when the first is over. Owing to the demanding and time-consuming nature of the tournament, the champions are exempted from end-of-year tests. "**

"Lucky" grumbled Seamus he hated tests

**Mr. Crouch turned to look at Dumbledore.**

**"I think that's all, is it, Albus?"**

**"I think so," said Dumbledore, who was looking at Mr Crouch with mild concern. "Are you sure you wouldn't like to stay at Hogwarts tonight, Barty?"**

Harry was more and more interested in Crouch Sr's behaviour

**"No, Dumbledore, I must get back to the Ministry," said Mr. Crouch. "It is a very busy, very difficult time at the moment. . . . I've left young Weatherby in charge. . . . Very enthusiastic. . . a little overenthusiastic, if truth be told. . . "**

Fred and George turned red trying not to laugh, whilst Percy just looked at the table in front of him

**"You'll come and have a drink before you go, at least?" said Dumbledore.**

**"Come on, Barty, I'm staying!" said Bagman brightly. "It's all happening at Hogwarts now, you know, much more exciting here than at the office!"**

**"I think not, Ludo," said Crouch with a touch of his old impatience.**

Had Crouch briefly managed to resist the curse, thought Harry

**"Professor Karkaroff - Madame Maxime - a nightcap?" said Dumbledore.**

**But Madame Maxime had already put her arm around Fleur's shoulders and was leading her swiftly out of the room. Harry could hear them both talking very fast in French as they went off into the Great Hall. Karkaroff beckoned to Krum, and they, too, exited, though in silence.**

"We were very excited at the time" said Fleur in a tone that suggested that changed quickly

**"Harry, Cedric, I suggest you go up to bed," said Dumbledore, smiling at both of them. "I am sure Gryffindor and Hufflepuff are waiting to celebrate with you, and it would be a shame to deprive them of this excellent excuse to make a great deal of mess and noise. "**

"Oh we did," said Hannah softly

"Yeah us too," said Fred quietly

**Harry glanced at Cedric, who nodded, and they left together.**

**The Great Hall was deserted now; the candles had burned low, giving the jagged smiles of the pumpkins an eerie, flickering quality.**

**"So," said Cedric, with a slight smile. "We're playing against each other again!"**

Harry just sighed at that, if only had just been another quidditch match

**"I s'pose," said Harry. He really couldn't think of anything to say. The inside of his head seemed to be in complete disarray, as though his brain had been ransacked.**

**"So. . . tell me. . . " said Cedric as they reached the entrance hall, which was now lit only by torches in the absence of the Goblet of Fire. "How did you get your name in?"**

Harry looked around at all the people who now had guilt written across their faces

**"I didn't," said Harry, staring up at him. "I didn't put it in. I was telling the truth. "**

**"Ah. . . okay," said Cedric. Harry could tell Cedric didn't believe him. "Well. . . see you, then. "**

Harry once again felt a pang that they couldn't have at least been friends

**Instead of going up the marble staircase, Cedric headed for a door to its right. Harry stood listening to him going down the stone steps beyond it, then, slowly, he started to climb the marble ones.**

"I was thinking" he said

**Was anyone except Ron and Hermione going to believe him,**

Hermione nodded, whilst Ron felt worse than ever

**or would they all think he'd put himself in for the tournament? Yet how could anyone think that, when he was facing competitors who'd had three years' more magical education**

"When you put it like that," said Ernie also looking guilty

"Yeah we're sorry," said Hannah

"We should've believed you," said Justin

"I accept your apology," said Harry stiffly

Sirius, Remus, Daphne and Hermione didn't look like they agreed,

**then he had - when he was now facing tasks that not only sounded very dangerous but which were to be performed in front of hundreds of people? Yes, he'd thought about it. . . he'd fantasized about it. . . but it had been a joke, really, an idle sort of dream. . . he'd never really, seriously considered entering. . . .**

Once again people looked down

**But someone else had considered it. . . someone else had wanted him in the tournament and had made sure he was entered. Why? To give him a treat? He didn't think so, somehow. . .**

"It wasn't," said Harry and people now began to look interested, would they learn how his

**To see him make a fool of himself? Well, they were likely to get their wish. . . .**

**But to get him killed?**

"Yes that was their intent" said Harry

**Was Moody just being his usual paranoid self? Couldn't someone have put Harry's name in the goblet as a trick, a practical joke? Did anyone really want him dead?**

"A few people" said Harry in very blaise tone, causing several around him to frown

**Harry was able to answer that at once. Yes, someone wanted him dead, someone had wanted him dead ever since he had been a year old. . . Lord Voldemort. But how could Voldemort have ensured that Harry's name got into the Goblet of Fire? Voldemort was supposed to be far away, in some distant country, in hiding, alone. . . feeble and powerless. . . .**

"Not anymore he's not" said Harry

More and more people now believed Harry, and many of them were afraid to read about a fully-powered Voldemort

**Yet in that dream he had had, just before he had awoken with his scar hurting, Voldemort had not been alone. . . he had been talking to Wormtail. . . plotting Harry's murder. . . .**

"You really should've said something sooner" said Daphne frowning

Harry just shrugged not really having an answer to that

**Harry got a shock to find himself facing the Fat Lady already. He had barely noticed where his feet were carrying him. It was also a surprise to see that she was not alone in her frame. The wizened witch who had flitted into her neighbor's painting when he had joined the champions downstairs was now sitting smugly beside the Fat Lady.**

Several people shook their heads at that

**She must have dashed through every picture lining seven staircases to reach here before him. Both she and the Fat Lady were looking down at him with the keenest interest.**

"Oh goodie" muttered Harry bitterly, this chapter was bringing back far to

**"Well, well, well," said the Fat Lady, "Violet's just told me everything. Who's just been chosen as school champion, then?"**

**"Balderdash," said Harry dully.**

"I was finding quite difficult to get excited," said Harry

**"It most certainly isn't!" said the pale witch indignantly.**

**"No, no, Vi, it's the password," said the Fat Lady soothingly, and she swung forward on her hinges to let Harry into the common room.**

**The blast of noise that met Harry's ears when the portrait opened almost knocked him backward.**

"Wow" said Michael Corner

**Next thing he knew, he was being wrenched inside the common room by about a dozen pairs of hands, and was facing the whole of Gryffindor House, all of whom were screaming, applauding, and whistling.**

The Gryffindors now looked rather ashamed of themselves

**"You should've told us you'd entered!" bellowed Fred; he looked half annoyed, half deeply impressed.**

**"How did you do it without getting a beard? Brilliant!" roared George.**

The twins now look apologetic

**"I didn't," Harry said. "I don't know how -"**

**But Angelina had now swooped down upon him; "Oh if it couldn't be me, at least it's a Gryffindor -"**

It was Angelina's turn to look very sorry

**"You'll be able to pay back Diggory for that last Quidditch match, Harry!" shrieked Katie Bell, another of the Gryffindor Chasers.**

**"We've got food, Harry, come and have some -"**

**"I'm not hungry, I had enough at the feast -"**

Most Gryffindors now looked deeply ashamed of themselves

**But nobody wanted to hear that he wasn't hungry; nobody wanted to hear that he hadn't put his name in the goblet; not one single person seemed to have noticed that he wasn't at all in the mood to celebrate. . . .**

**Lee Jordan had unearthed a Gryffindor banner from somewhere, and he insisted on draping it around Harry like a cloak.**

Lee turned to apologise and Harry just waved it off, although deep down he wanted to say about time

**Harry couldn't get away; whenever he tried to sidle over to the staircase up to the dormitories, the crowd around him closed ranks, forcing another butterbeer on him, stuffing crisps and peanuts into his hands. . . .**

Harry didn't think the Gryffindor could a deeper shade of red, but they did

**Everyone wanted to know how he had done it, how he had tricked Dumbledore's Age Line and managed to get his name into the goblet. . . .**

Harry looked around the 4 tables, well at least people seemed to believe him now

**"I didn't," he said, over and over again, "I don't know how it happened. "**

**But for all the notice anyone took, he might just as well not have answered at all.**

**"I'm tired!" he bellowed finally, after nearly half an hour. "No, seriously, George - I'm going to bed -"**

"Sorry mate"

Harry just sighed

**He wanted more than anything to find Ron and Hermione, to find a bit of sanity, but neither of them seemed to be in the common room. Insisting that he needed to sleep, and almost flattening the little Creevey brothers as they attempted to waylay him at the foot of the stairs,**

It was Harry's turn to look apologetic

**Harry managed to shake everyone off and climb up to the dormitory as fast as he could.**

**To his great relief, he found Ron was lying on his bed in the otherwise empty dormitory, still fully dressed. He looked up when Harry slammed the door behind him.**

"Temper" said Fred feebly in an effort to diffuse the tension

I didn't work at all

**"Where've you been?" Harry said.**

**"Oh hello," said Ron.**

Molly smiled

**He was grinning, but it was a very odd, strained sort of grin. Harry suddenly became aware that he was still wearing the scarlet Gryffindor banner that Lee had tied around him. He hastened to take it off, but it was knotted very tightly. Ron lay on the bed without moving, watching Harry struggle to remove it.**

Molly's smile turned to a frown

"Why didn't you help him" she asked

Ron didn't answer who just looked down in shame

**"So," he said, when Harry had finally removed the banner and thrown it into a corner. "Congratulations. "**

**"What d'you mean, congratulations?" said Harry, staring at Ron. There was definitely something wrong with the way Ron was smiling: It was more like a grimace.**

It was Arthur's turn to frown

**"Well. . . no one else got across the Age Line," said Ron. "Not even Fred and George. What did you use - the Invisibility Cloak?"**

**"The Invisibility Cloak wouldn't have got me over that line," said Harry slowly.**

"An invisibility cloak only makes your invisible, it has no other properties" said McGonagall who sounded very disapointed

Ron only nodded and continued to stare at the table

**"Oh right," said Ron. "I thought you might've told me if it was the cloak. . . because it would've covered both of us, wouldn't it? But you found another way, did you?"**

**"Listen," said Harry, "I didn't put my name in that goblet. Someone else must've done it. "**

Ron shook his head, he should've believed Harry

**Ron raised his eyebrows.**

**"What would they do that for?"**

**"I dunno," said Harry. He felt it would sound very melodramatic to say, "To kill me. "**

Ron was now feeling stupid alongside guility, it was all so obvious now

**Ron's eyebrows rose so high that they were in danger of disappearing into his hair.**

**"It's okay, you know, you can tell me the truth," he said. "**

"I can't believe you" said Molly looking upset

McGonagall and Mr Weasley also looked saddened

Ron couldn't think of anything to say

**If you don't want everyone else to know, fine, but I don't know why you're bothering to lie, you didn't get into trouble for it, did you? That friend of the Fat Lady's, that Violet, she's already told us all Dumbledore's letting you enter. A thousand Galleons prize money, eh? And you don't have to do end-of-year tests either. . . . "**

Harry could once again feel old anger rising to the surface, whilst it was true he had forgiven Ron, it still hurt

**"I didn't put my name in that goblet!" said Harry, starting to feel angry.**

**"Yeah, okay," said Ron, in exactly the same sceptical tone as Cedric. "Only you said this morning you'd have done it last night, and no one would've seen you. . . . I'm not stupid, you know. "**

"Really" said Fred not looking happy

"You're supposed to be Harry's best friend" continued George

"And you thought he would really want to enter" finished Fred

Ron was feeling worse and worse, he could his parents gaze and see the angry looks on siblings' faces

**"You're doing a really good impression of it," Harry snapped.**

**"Yeah?" said Ron, and there was no trace of a grin, forced or otherwise, on his face now. "You want to get to bed, Harry. I expect you'll need to be up early tomorrow for a photo-call or something. "**

"Ronald Weasley that was uncalled for" said Molly turning red

"Not now Molly dear" said Arthur, before turning to Ron "We will be discussing this later young man"

Ron just shrank back into his chair

**He wrenched the hangings shut around his four-poster, leaving Harry standing there by the door, staring at the dark red velvet curtains, now hiding one of the few people he had been sure would believe him.**

"That's the end of the chapter" said Lavender

There was an awkward silence, no one knew what to say to that

"I can't believe it" said Molly "We will be discussing this later"

Ron just nodded, he looked close to tears

"I'll read next" said Parvati breaking the awkward silence and taking the book from her friend


	21. A/N

**I'm sorry for the delay folks, I'm planning to update on the 18th September as by then I shall have at least three chapters done and I shall upload them all at once, so please be patient,**


	22. Weighing of the Wands

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hi folks, sorry for the delay, I have just moved back to Uni and somehow left my laptop behind, so I'm posting this from my phone, if there are any errors please let me know and I will fix them as soon as my laptop arrives.

**Chapter 18 The Weighing of the Wands** read Parvati

**When Harry woke up on Sunday morning, it took him a moment to remember why he felt so miserable and worried.**

Harry sighed, he was not looking forward to this

**Then the memory of the previous night rolled over him. He sat up and ripped back the curtains of his own four-poster, intending to talk to Ron, to force Ron to believe him - only to find that Ron's bed was empty; he had obviously gone down to breakfast.**

Ron was just staring at the table in front of him, he would never forgive himself for not believing Harry

Sirius and Remus glared at Ron whilst Molly and Arthur just appeared disappointed

**Harry dressed and went down the spiral staircase into the common room. The moment he appeared, the people who had already finished breakfast broke into applause again. The prospect of going down into the Great Hall and facing the rest of the Gryffindors, all treating him like some sort of hero, was not inviting** **;**

Those that had been present, now looked rather ashamed of themselves

**it was that, however, or stay here and allow himself to be cornered by the Creevey brothers, who were both beckoning frantically to him to join them. He walked resolutely over to the portrait hole, pushed it open, climbed out of it, and found himself face-to-face with Hermione.**

Remus and Sirius looked at Hermione sharply, she had better believe him

Noticing their glare Hermione snapped "Of course I believed him," as though it were the most obvious thing in the world,

**"Hello," she said, holding up a stack of toast, which she was carrying in a napkin. "I brought you this. . . . Want to go for a walk?"**

**"Good idea," said Harry gratefully.**

"I never did thank you for that," said Harry smiling at Hermione

"No worries" smiled Hermione back and Daphne looked at Hermione, she hoped they could be friends

Ron on the other hand just there saying nothing

**They went downstairs, crossed the entrance hall quickly without looking in at the Great Hall, and were soon striding across the lawn toward the lake, where the Durmstrang ship was moored, reflected blackly in the water. It was a chilly morning,**

"It felt wintery," said Hermione

**and they kept moving, munching their toast, as Harry told Hermione exactly what had happened after he had left the Gryffindor table the night before. To his immense relief, Hermione accepted his story without question.**

"Of course," said Hermione again as though it were obvious that she would

Sirius and Remus smiled at her gratefully

McGonagall looked at her proudly

Ron just looked at the table,

**"Well, of course, I knew you hadn't entered yourself," she said when he'd finished telling her about the scene in the chamber off the Hall. "**

"It was obvious," said Hermione

**The look on your face when Dumbledore read out your name! But the question is, who did put it in? Because Moody's right, Harry. . . I don't think any student could have done it. . . they'd never be able to fool the Goblet, or get over Dumbledore's -"**

"Miss Granger is right," said McGonagall looking directly at Ron "No fourteen year old could manage it"

Many other students also looked quite guilty,

**"Have you seen Ron?" Harry interrupted.**

**Hermione hesitated.**

**"Erm. . . yes. . . he was at breakfast," she said.**

People turned to look at Ron who just looked ashamed of himself

**"Does he still think I entered myself?"**

**"Well. . . no, I don't think so. . . not really," said Hermione awkwardly.**

"Did you believe him or not?" asked Sirius sounding quite dangerous

"No, I didn't," said Ron quietly

Sirius and Hermione both looked angry

Harry looked hurt

Ron just shrank back in his seat

Molly and Arthur made a mental note to talk with Ron,

**"What's that supposed to mean, 'not really'?"**

**"Oh Harry, isn't it obvious?" Hermione said despairingly. "He's jealous!"**

"Jealous," asked Sirius raising an eyebrow

Ron nodded, that had been the case

**"Jealous?" Harry said incredulously. "Jealous of what? He wants to make a part of himself in front of the whole school, does he?"**

Once more Ron felt extremely foolish

**"Look," said Hermione patiently, "it's always you who gets all the attention, you know it is. I know it's not your fault," she added quickly, seeing Harry open his mouth furiously.**

Ron was now having to resist the urge to cry

**"I know you don't ask for it. . . but - well - you know, Ron's got all those brothers to compete against at home, and you're his best friend, and you're really famous - he's always shunted to one side whenever people see you, and he puts up with it, and he never mentions it, but I suppose this is just one time too many. . . "**

Ron didn't think he could feel any more ashamed of himself

**"Great," said Harry bitterly. "Really great. Tell him from me I'll swap any time he wants. Tell him from me he's welcome to it. . . . People gawping at my forehead everywhere I go. . . "**

Molly and Arthur were staring at Ron with great disappointment

His siblings were not doing much better, they looked furious at him

**"I'm not telling him anything," Hermione said shortly. "Tell him yourself. It's the only way to sort this out. "**

**"I'm not running around after him trying to make him grow up!" Harry said, so loudly that several owls in a nearby tree took flight in alarm. "Maybe he'll believe I'm not enjoying myself once I've got my neck broken or -"**

Sirius and Remus winced

"Don't talk like that" said Sirius sharply

Harry just nodded

**"That's not funny," said Hermione quietly. "That's not funny at all. " She looked extremely anxious. "Harry, I've been thinking - you know what we've got to do, don't you? Straight away, the moment we get back to the castle?"**

**"Yeah, give Ron a good kick up the -"**

Ron just refused to look up

**"Write to Sirius. You've got to tell him what's happened.**

Sirius nodded "I'm glad one of your is using your brain"

Hermione blushed slightly at the praise

McGonagall and Sprout also nodded at that

**He asked you to keep him posted on everything that's going on at Hogwarts. . . . It's almost as if he expected something like this to happen. I brought some parchment and a quill out with me -"**

"I wasn't expecting this," said Sirius and people looked at him curiously

Sirius just sighed "I had a feeling the Voldemort would try something, but I wasn't sure what"

Snape sneered, so the mutt did have a brain

**"Come off it," said Harry, looking around to check that they couldn't be overheard, but the grounds were quite deserted. "He came back to the country just because my scar twinged. He'll probably come bursting right into the castle if I tell him someone's entered me in the Triwizard Tournament -"**

"I thought about it, but on balance decided that it wouldn't be a good idea," said Sirius

"Well who would have thought it, you do have brain mutt" sneered Snape

"Shut it Snivelly" snapped Snape much to the amusement of the Gryffindors

"Severus, Sirius," said McGonagall as though they were a pair of naughty first years

**"He'd want you to tell him," said Hermione sternly. "He's going to find out anyway. "**

**"How?"**

"I can't believe you just asked that," said Draco sound genuinely surprised

"I'm still hadn't read any of the books I'm," said Harry 

Jaws fell open around the hall, Harry and Draco just had a normal conversation 

Dumbledore smiled maybe house unity was possible

**"Harry, this isn't going to be kept quiet," said Hermione, very seriously. "This tournament's famous, and you're famous. I'll be really surprised if there isn't anything in the Daily Prophet about you competing. . . .**

Remus nodded, "It was in the papers by Monday"

Harry signed of course it was

**You're already in half the books about You-Know-Who, you know. . . and Sirius would rather hear it from you, I know he would. "**

Sirius nodded his agreement "I really would"

**"Okay, okay, I'll write to him," said Harry, throwing his last piece of toast into the lake. They both stood and watched it floating there for a moment, before a large tentacle rose out of the water and scooped it beneath the surface. Then they returned to the castle.**

Sirius was glad Harry didn't stay out to long, even at Hogwarts as he had learnt, his godson wasn't safe

**"Whose owl am I going to use?" Harry said as they climbed the stairs. "He told me not to use Hedwig again. "**

**"Ask Ron if you can borrow -"**

**"I'm not asking Ron for anything," Harry said flatly.**

Ron was once again looking ashamed of himself

**"Well, borrow one of the school owls, then, anyone can use them," said Hermione.**

**They went up to the Owlery. Hermione gave Harry a piece of parchment, a quill, and a bottle of ink, then strolled around the long lines of perches, looking at all the different owls, while Harry sat down against a wall and wrote his letter.**

"With a bit of prodding" said Hermione trying inject some humor into the atmosphere

Harry smiled but only slightly

**Dear Sirius,**   
**You told me to keep you posted on what's happening at Hogwarts, so here goes - I don't know if you've heard, but the Triwizard Tournament's happening this year and on Saturday night I got picked as a fourth champion. I don't who put my name in the Goblet of Fire, because I didn't. The other Hogwarts champion is Cedric Diggory, from Hufflepuff.**   
**He paused at this point, thinking. He had an urge to say something about the large weight of anxiety that seemed to have settled inside his chest since last night, but he couldn't think how to translate this into words, so he simply dipped his quill back into the ink bottle and wrote,**

"Good" said Sirius

**Hope you're okay, and Buckbeak - Harry**   
**"Finished," he told Hermione, getting to his feet and brushing straw off his robes. At this, Hedwig fluttered down onto his shoulder and held out her leg.**

"Your owl really does have a unique personality" said Charlie

"Yeah she does" said Harry smiling

**"I can't use you," Harry told her, looking around for the school owls. "I've got to use one of these. "**

"I bet she didn't like that" laughed Charlie

**Hedwig gave a very loud hoot and took off so suddenly that her talons cut into his shoulder.**

Several people laughed at that

Even Ron couldn't help but chuckle slightly at that

**She kept her back to Harry all the time he was tying his letter to the leg of a large barn owl. When the barn owl had flown off, Harry reached out to stroke Hedwig, but she clicked her beak furiously and soared up into the rafters out of reach.**

Charlie had turned red with laughter "Mate, I love your owl"

Harry just grinned, glad for a bit humo

**"First Ron, then you," Harry said angrily. "This isn't my fault. "**

Ron stopped smiling instantly and a few people glared at him

**If Harry had thought that matters would improve once everyone got used to the idea of him being champion, the following day showed him how mistaken he was.**

Quite a few more people now looked down, feeling quite guilty

**He could no longer avoid the rest of the school once he was back at lessons - and it was clear that the rest of the school, just like the Gryffindors, thought Harry had entered himself for the tournament. Unlike the Gryffindors, however, they did not seem impressed.**

"We're sorry," said Ernie

Harry just nodded, however, Sirius wasn't quite as ready to let it go

"I would like to point something out" he began "Fred and George couldn't across with only a few months to go and yet you thought Harry with 3 years to go could"

Many people paused to think about that

"And if you think he is that powerful, why are you annoying him" finished Sirius

People began to think some more

**The Hufflepuffs, who were usually on excellent terms with the Gryffindors, had turned remarkably cold toward the whole lot of them. One Herbology lesson was enough to demonstrate this.**

Ernie, Justin, Hannah and several other fifth-year Hufflepuffs looked down, Sirius's words were still ringing in their heads

**It was plain that the Hufflepuffs felt that Harry had stolen their champion's glory; a feeling exacerbated, perhaps, by the fact that Hufflepuff House very rarely got any glory, and that Cedric was one of the few who had ever given them any, having beaten Gryffindor once at Quidditch.**

The Hufflepuff's all turned red, they really should've realised that Harry didn't enter himself

**Ernie Macmillan and Justin FinchFletchley, with whom Harry normally got on very well, did not talk to him even though they were repotting Bouncing Bulbs at the same tray - though they did laugh rather unpleasantly when one of the Bouncing Bulbs wriggled free from Harry's grip and smacked him hard in the face.**

Sirius's eyes narrowed at the Hufflepuff

McGonagall didn't look happy either

**Ron wasn't talking to Harry either. Hermione sat between them, making very forced conversation, but though both answered her normally, they avoided making eye contact with each other. Harry thought even Professor Sprout seemed distant with him - but then, she was Head of Hufflepuff House.**

"I truly am sorry Mr Potter," said Sprout

Harry just shrugged "It's fine"

McGonagall, Daphne, Hermione, Ginny and Cho looked like it was anything but fine

**He would have been looking forward to seeing Hagrid under normal circumstances, but Care of Magical Creatures meant seeing the Slytherins too - the first time he would come face-to-face with them since becoming champion.**

"I wouldn't have minded if you had been there" whispered Harry to Daphne shocking himself with how bold he was

Daphne just laughed, whilst Ginny and Cho narrowed their eyes at the blonde Slytherin

**Predictably, Malfoy arrived at Hagrid's cabin with his familiar sneer firmly in place.**

**"Ah, look, boys, it's the champion," he said to Crabbe and Goyle the moment he got within earshot of Harry. "Got your autograph books? Better get a signature now, because I doubt he's going to be around much longer. . . . Half the Triwizard champions have died. . . how long d'you reckon you're going to last, Potter? Ten minutes into the first task's my bet. "**

"I think, I did better than that," said Harry coldly

People sighed, civility was nice whilst it lasted

Draco just looked down, he too was thinking about Sirius's words, in particular, the last part

**Crabbe and Goyle guffawed sycophantically, but Malfoy had to stop there, because Hagrid emerged from the back of his cabin balancing a teetering tower of crates, each containing a very large Blast-Ended Skrewt. To the class's horror,**

McGonagall, Sprout and Pomfrey groaned, _What now_

**Hagrid proceeded to explain that the reason the skrewts had been killing one another was an excess of pent-up energy, and that the solution would be for each student to fix a leash on a skrewt and take it for a short walk. The only good thing about this plan was that it distracted Malfoy completely.**

"Well that's always a good thing," said Lee loudly and quite a few people including the Slytherins at the Gryffindor table laughed

Draco didn't even glare at the Gryffindor

**"Take this thing for a walk?" he repeated in disgust, staring into one of the boxes. "And where exactly are we supposed to fix the leash? Around the sting, the blasting end, or the sucker?"**

**"Roun' the middle," said Hagrid, demonstrating. "Er - yeh might want ter put on yer dragon-hide gloves, jus' as an extra precaution, like. Harry - you come here an' help me with this big one. . . . "**

Sirius and Remus groaned, they hoped Harry didn't get hurt

**Hagrid's real intention, however, was to talk to Harry away from the rest of the class. He waited until everyone else had set off with their skrewts, then turned to Harry and said, very seriously, "So - yer competin', Harry. In the tournament. School champion. "**

**"One of the champions," Harry corrected him.**

Hufflepuffs looked up at that, maybe Harry really didn't want all the attention

**Hagrid's beetle-black eyes looked very anxious under his wild eyebrows.**

**"No idea who put yeh in fer it, Harry?"**

"I do now" growled Harry, and people were looking more and more interested

Who entered Harry, was the thought going through many heads

**"You believe I didn't do it, then?" said Harry, concealing with difficulty the rush of gratitude he felt at Hagrid's words.**

**"Course I do," Hagrid grunted. "Yeh say it wasn' you, an' I believe yeh - an' Dumbledore believes yer, an' all. "**

More people sighed, with hindsight they too should've believed Dumbledore

**"Wish I knew who did do it," said Harry bitterly.**

"You will all find out soon enought" said Harry annoyed at the constant curious looks

**The pair of them looked out over the lawn; the class was widely scattered now, and all in great difficulty. The skrewts were now over three feet long, and extremely powerful. No longer shell-less and colorless, they had developed a kind of thick, grayish, shiny armor.**

Charlie sat up what on earth were they

**T** **hey looked like a cross between giant scorpions and elongated crabs- but still without recognizable heads or eyes. They had become immensely strong and very hard to control.**

Umbridge scribbled on her clipboard excitedly, not once did it occur to her that her position was rather unstable

**"Look like they're havin' fun, don' they?" Hagrid said happily. Harry assumed he was talking about the skrewts, because his classmates certainly weren't; every now and then, with an alarming bang, one of the skrewts' ends would explode, causing it to shoot forward several yards, and more than one person was being dragged along on their stomach,**

Pomfrey glared at Hagrid alongside McGonagall

Hagrid refused to meet their eyes

**trying desperately to get back on their feet.**

**"Ah, I don' know, Harry," Hagrid sighed suddenly, looking back down at him with a worried expression on his face. "School champion. . . everythin' seems ter happen ter you, doesn' it?"**

"Doesn't it just" muttered Harry

Daphne and Ginny both frowned

**Harry didn't answer. Yes, everything did seem to happen to him. . . that was more or less what Hermione had said as they had walked around the lake, and that was the reason, according to her, that Ron was no longer talking to him.**

Ron was looking very ashamed of himself now

**The next few days were some of Harry's worst at Hogwarts. The closest he had ever come to feeling like this had been during those months, in his second year, when a large part of the school had suspected him of attacking his fellow students. But Ron had been on his side then.**

Ron was feeling more and more like the worst human being that had ever lived

The glares from siblings were not helping

**He thought he could have coped with the rest of the school's behavior if he could just have had Ron back as a friend, but he wasn't going to try and persuade Ron to talk to him if Ron didn't want to. Nevertheless, it was lonely with dislike pouring in on him from all sides.**

More and more people were feeling likes pieces of dirt

**He could understand the Hufflepuffs' attitude, even if he didn't like it; they had their own champion to support.**

Many Hufflepuffs now felt like they had betrayed everything their house stood for

**He expected nothing less than vicious insults from the Slytherins - he was highly unpopular there and always had been,**

Daphne just shook her head, many of her housemates disgusted her

**because he had helped Gryffindor beat them so often, both at Quidditch and in the Inter-House Championship. But he had hoped the Ravenclaws might have found it in their hearts to support him as much as Cedric. He was wrong, however. Most Ravenclaws seemed to think that he had been desperate to earn himself a bit more fame by tricking the goblet into accepting his name.**

Professor Flitwick looked disapprovingly at his Ravens and then turned to Harry

"I can assure you Mr. Potter I did not believe for a second that you entered yourself" said Flitwick

Harry smiled at him gratefully whilst the Ravenclaws looked down

**Then there was the fact that Cedric looked the part of a champion so much more than he did. Exceptionally handsome, with his straight nose, dark hair, and gray eyes, it was hard to say who was receiving more admiration these days, Cedric or Viktor Krum.**

Hermione nodded, it really had been silly

**Harry actually saw the same sixth-year girls who had been so keen to get Krum's autograph begging Cedric to sign their school bags one lunchtime.**

The same girls once again turned red

**Meanwhile there was no reply from Sirius, Hedwig was refusing to come anywhere near him,**

Sirius and Remus felt their hearts breaking for James's son

**Professor Trelawney was predicting his death with even more certainty than usual, and he did so badly at Summoning Charms in Professor Flitwick's class that he was given extra homework - the only person to get any, apart from Neville.**

August looked at her grandson, she really wanted him to be as good as his father

Harry noticed, maybe he should talk with Mrs Longbottom if he got the chance

**"It's really not that difficult, Harry," Hermione tried to reassure him as they left Flitwick's class - she had been making objects zoom across the room to her all lesson, as though she were some sort of weird magnet for board dusters, wastepaper baskets, and lunascopes. "You just weren't concentrating properly -"**

Hermione winced "Wrong thing to say"

"You think" snapped Harry

Hermione just sighed

**"Wonder why that was," said Harry darkly as Cedric Diggory walked past, surrounded by a large group of simpering girls, all of whom looked at Harry as though he were a particularly large Blast-Ended Skrewt. "Still - never mind, eh? Double Potions to look forward to this afternoon. . . "**

"Why would you ever look forward to potions," said Lee Jordan

This elicited a few chuckles from several students and a glare from the potions master

**Double Potions was always a horrible experience, but these days it was nothing short of torture. Being shut in a dungeon for an hour and a half with Snape and the Slytherins,**

Snape ignored the disappointed look from Dumbledore and settled for glaring at Harry

**all of whom seemed determined to punish Harry as much as possible for daring to become school champion, was about the most unpleasant thing Harry could imagine.**

Harry shook his head, how naive he was

**He had already struggled through one Friday's worth, with Hermione sitting next to him intoning "ignore them, ignore them, ignore them" under her breath, and he couldn't see why today should be any better.**

Hermione winced at the memory

Both Ron and Harry glared at Malfoy

**When he and Hermione arrived at Snape's dungeon after lunch, they found the Slytherins waiting outside, each and every one of them wearing a large badge on the front of his or her robes. For one wild moment, Harry thought they were S. P. E. W. badges -**

Pansy had to suppress a snort at that

**then he saw that they all bore the same message, in luminous red letters that burnt brightly in the dimly lit underground passage:**

**SUPPORT CEDRIC DIGGORY-**   
**THE REAL HOGWARTS CHAMPION!**

McGonagall raised an eyebrow and turned to Snape

"You didn't think to prevent this," she said in a steely tone

"I wasn't aware of them," said Snape avoiding her's and Dumbledore's gaze

**"Like them, Potter?" said Malfoy loudly as Harry approached. "And this isn't all they do - look!"**

**He pressed his badge into his chest, and the message upon it vanished, to be replaced by another one, which glowed green:**

**POTTER STINKS!**

McGonagall turned to Snape

**The Slytherins howled with laughter. Each of them pressed their badges too until the message POTTER STINKS was shining brightly all around Harry. He felt the heat rise in his face and neck.**

"Control your temper Potter" barked Moody "It will make you vulnerable to your enemies otherwise"

Harry nodded, he was right of course

"Alastor" sighed McGonagall

**"Oh very funny," Hermione said sarcastically to Pansy Parkinson and her gang of Slytherin girls, who were laughing harder than anyone, "really witty. "**

**Ron was standing against the wall with Dean and Seamus. He wasn't laughing, but he wasn't sticking up for Harry either.**

Fred and George were looking at Ron, they really needed to talk to him

**"Want one, Granger?" said Malfoy, holding out a badge to Hermione. "I've got loads. But don't touch my hand, now. I've just washed it, you see; don't want a Mudblood sliming it up. "**

"Mr Malfoy," said McGonagall sternly

Narcissa narrowed her eyes at her son, she would be having a talk with her son very soon

Snape ground his teeth at that word

Most people narrowed their eyes at the young Malfoy

Only Umbridge seemed unfazed, she personally agreed with him

**Some of the anger Harry had been feeling for days and days seemed to burst through a dam in his chest. He had reached for his wand before he'd thought what he was doing. People all around them scrambled out of the way, backing down the corridor.**

"Wise move" joked Fred, although it was a very weak attempt

**"Harry!" Hermione said warningly.**

"At least you tried" sighed McGonagall

**"Go on, then, Potter," Malfoy said quietly, drawing out his own wand. "Moody's not here to look after you now - do it, if you've got the guts -"**

"Oh I do" hissed Harry "And I don't curse people when their backs are turned"

Moody's eyes narrowed at the reminder as did the rest of the hall

**For a split second, they looked into each other's eyes, then, at exactly the same time, both acted.**

**"Funnunculus!" Harry yelled.**

**"Densaugeo!" screamed Malfoy.**

"Ah hah dueling in the corridor" shrieked Umbridge pointing a finger at Harry

"If your going to punish Harry shouldn't you be punishing Malfoy as well" said Hermione with a false sweetness

Umbridge went silent and purple before saying "I will decide who will be punished Miss Granger" she hissed

"Miss Granger is correct" said McGonagall

Umbridge looked her and was about to say something when she caught Fudge's angry look and sat down

**Jets of light shot from both wands, hit each other in midair, and ricocheted off at angles - Harry's hit Goyle in the face, and Malfoy's hit Hermione. Goyle bellowed and put his hands to his nose, where great ugly boils were springing up - Hermione, whimpering in panic, was clutching her mouth.**

"Oh are you alright" asked Mrs Weasley

**"Hermione!"**

**Ron had hurried forward to see what was wrong with her; Harry turned and saw Ron dragging Hermione's hand away from her face. It wasn't a pretty sight. Hermione's front teeth - already larger than average - were now growing at an alarming rate;**

Daphne looked at Malfoy with hatred and disgust

**she was looking more and more like a beaver as her teeth elongated, past her bottom lip, toward her chin - panic-stricken, she felt them and let out a terrified cry.**

"Were you okay" asked Daphne

"I was" smiled Hermione at the Slytherin

**"And what is all this noise about?" said a soft, deadly voice.**

**Snape had arrived. The Slytherins clamored to give their explanations; Snape pointed a long yellow finger at Malfoy and said, "Explain. "**

McGonagall narrowed her eyes at Snape

**"Potter attacked me, sir -"**

**"We attacked each other at the same time!" Harry shouted.**

**"- and he hit Goyle - look -"**

**Snape examined Goyle, whose face now resembled something that would have been at home in a book on poisonous fungi.**

A few people sniggered

**"Hospital wing, Goyle," Snape said calmly.**

**"Malfoy got Hermione!" Ron said. "Look!"**

McGonagall's eyes narrowed further

**He forced Hermione to show Snape her teeth - she was doing her best to hide them with her hands, though this was difficult as they had now grown down past her collar. Pansy Parkinson and the other Slytherin girls were doubled up with silent giggles, pointing at Hermione from behind Snape's back.**

Daphne shook head, her dormates

**Snape looked coldly at Hermione, then said, "I see no difference. "**

McGonagall lips turned thinner than Harry had ever seen them before

"How dare you" she whispered in pure fury

She then turned to Dumbledore "We will be taking a break after this chapter"

Dumbledore he to looked angry

Snape winced

Amelia looked at Snape, she to would be talking with Snape after this chapter

**Hermione let out a whimper; her eyes filled with tears, she turned on her heel and ran, ran all the way up the corridor and out of sight.**

Harry didn't think that McGonagall could get any angrier, he was wrong

**It was lucky, perhaps, that both Harry and Ron started shouting at Snape at the same time; lucky their voices echoed so much in the stone corridor, for in the confused din, it was impossible for him to hear exactly what they were calling him. He got the gist, however.**

McGonagall was too angry to reprimand either of them

**"Let's see," he said, in his silkiest voice. "Fifty points from Gryffindor and a detention each for Potter and Weasley. Now get inside, or it'll be a week's worth of detentions. "**

"You and I'll will be talking after this chapter" said McGonagall making no effort to keep her voice down

Snape just nodded

Amelia looked them, yes she was most certainely going to be apart of that conversation

**Harry's ears were ringing. The injustice of it made him want to curse Snape into a thousand slimy pieces.**

Everyone raised eyebrow at Harry

Snape just sneered, as if Potter would have the guts to try and curse him

**He passed Snape, walked with Ron to the back of the dungeon, and slammed his bag down onto the table. Ron was shaking with anger too - for a moment,**

Molly looked hopeful as did a few other people

**it felt as though everything was back to normal between them, but then Ron turned and sat down with Dean and Seamus instead, leaving Harry alone at his table.**

Molly once again looked disappointed

**On the other side of the dungeon, Malfoy turned his back on Snape and pressed his badge, smirking. POTTER STINKS flashed once more across the room.**

McGonagall flashed another glare at Snape who was simply choosing to examine the table

**Harry sat there staring at Snape as the lesson began, picturing horrific things happening to him. . . . If only he knew how to do the Cruciatus Curse. . . he'd have Snape flat on his back like that spider, jerking and twitching. . . .**

Umbridge smiled at last and began scribbling on her clipboard

Around the hall more people looked at Harry in surprise

**"Antidotes!" said Snape, looking around at them all, his cold black eyes glittering unpleasantly. "You should all have prepared your recipes now. I want you to brew them carefully, and then, we will be selecting someone on whom to test one. . . "**

A hiss of anger came from McGonagall, Pomfrey, Remus and Amelia

Dumbledore too looked angry

**Snape's eyes met Harry's, and Harry knew what was coming. Snape was going to poison him.**

"You'd better not have" snarled Sirius at Snape

"Or what mutt" hissed Snape

Harry pulled Sirius down, "He didn't get a chance" he whispered

He then winced in memory of what came next

**Harry imagined picking up his cauldron, and sprinting to the front of the class, and bringing it down on Snape's greasy head - And then a knock on the dungeon door burst in on Harry's thoughts.**

Dumbledore frowned had the piece of Voldemort's soul been asserting itself even then

**It was Colin Creevey; he edged into the room, beaming at Harry, and walked up to Snape's desk at the front of the room.**

**"Yes?" said Snape curtly.**

**"Please, sir, I'm supposed to take Harry Potter upstairs. " Snape stared down his hooked nose at Colin, whose smile faded from his eager face.**

"Don't worry" said Fred turning to Colin

"You could have used the strongest cheering charm in the world" continued George

"And Snape would still have made you cry" finished Fred

This caused many chuckles from those around them and a glare from the Potions master, although it was half-hearted

**"Potter has another hour of Potions to complete," said Snape coldly. "He will come upstairs when this class is finished. "**

**Colin went pink.**

McGonagall mentally added that to her list of this to "talk" to Snape about

**"Sir - sir, Mr. Bagman wants him," he said nervously. "All the champions have got to go, I think they want to take photographs. . . "**

**Harry would have given anything he owned to have stopped Colin saying those last few words. He chanced half a glance at Ron, but Ron was staring determinedly at the ceiling.**

Ron in the hall was staring very determinedly at the table

**"Very well, very well," Snape snapped. "Potter, leave your things here, I want you back down here later to test your antidote. "**

**"Please, sir - he's got to take his things with him," squeaked Cohn. "All the champions. . . "**

**"Very well!" said Snape. "Potter - take your bag and get out of my sight!"**

"Don't be rude to students" hissed McGonagall who was really struggling to contain herself,

Snape nodded, he pretty sure that the presence of the students was the only thing preventing McGonagall from cursing him

**Harry swung his bag over his shoulder, got up, and headed for the door. As he walked through the Slytherin desks, POTTER STINKS flashed at him from every direction.**

McGonagall wasn't sure if she could keep herself together much longer

**"It's amazing, isn't it, Harry?" said Colin, starting to speak the moment Harry had closed the dungeon door behind him. "Isn't it, though? You being champion?"**

Colin turned red with embarrasement, he turned to apologise

Harry just waved it off

**"Yeah, really amazing," said Harry heavily as they set off toward the steps into the entrance hall. "What do they want photos for, Colin?"**

**"The Daily Prophet, I think!"**

**"Great," said Harry dully. "Exactly what I need. More publicity. "**

"Last thing I need" muttered Harry

Ron heard that

**"Good luck!" said Colin when they had reached the right room. Harry knocked on the door and entered.**

**He was in a fairly small classroom; most of the desks had been pushed away to the back of the room, leaving a large space in the middle; three of them, however, had been placed end-to-end in front of the blackboard and covered with a long length of velvet.**

People sat up, in spite of the seriousness of it they wanted to know what had been said

**Five chairs had been set behind the velvet-covered desks, and Ludo Bagman was sitting in one of them, talking to a witch Harry had never seen before, who was wearing magenta robes.**

More than a few people scowled, they knew who she was

**Viktor Krum was standing moodily in a corner as usual and not talking to anybody. Cedric and Fheur were in conversation. Fheur looked a good deal happier than Harry had seen her so far;**

Fleur sighed, if only that had lasted

**she kept throwing back her head so that her long silvery hair caught the light. A paunchy man, holding a large black camera that was smoking slightly, was watching Fleur out of the corner of his eye.**

Bill scowled at that

**Bagman suddenly spotted Harry, got up quickly, and bounded forward.**

**"Ah, here he is! Champion number four! In you come, Harry, in you come. . . nothing to worry about, it's just the wand weighing ceremony, the rest of the judges will be here in a moment -"**

**"Wand weighing?" Harry repeated nervously.**

Several purebloods looked at him in surprise

"Muggle raised" said Harry loudly, he could feel his temper rising again

**"We have to check that your wands are fully functional, no problems, you know, as they're your most important tools in the tasks ahead," said Bagman. "The expert's upstairs now with Dumbledore.**

"Yes, it was good to catch up with an old friend" said Ollivander

Many people jumped, and a couple of first years even fell off their chairs they had forgotten he was there

**And then there's going to be a little photo shoot. This is Rita Skeeter," he added, gesturing toward the witch in magenta robes. "She's doing a small piece on the tournament for the Daily Prophet. . . . "**

"Ugh Rita" groaned Sirius

"You knew her" asked Harry surprised

"She was a slytherin quite a bit older than us, but she had been held back a couple of times"

"She was no better then" finished Remus grimacing

**"Maybe not that small, Ludo," said Rita Skeeter, her eyes on Harry.**

**Her hair was set in elaborate and curiously rigid curls that contrasted oddly with her heavy-jawed face. She wore jeweled spectacles. The thick fingers clutching her crocodile-skin handbag ended in two-inch nails, painted crimson.**

"She definitly hasn't changed" muttered Molly

**"I wonder if I could have a little word with Harry before we start?" she said to Bagman, but still gazing fixedly at Harry. "The youngest champion, you know. . . to add a bit of color?"**

**"Certainly!" cried Bagman. "That is - if Harry has no objection?"**

**"Er -" said Harry.**

Pomfrey, Sprout and McGonagall scowled at that

Remus and Sirius didn't look much happier

**"Lovely," said Rita Skeeter, and in a second, her scarlet-taloned fingers had Harry's upper arm in a surprisingly strong grip, and she was steering him out of the room again and opening a nearby door.**

**"We don't want to be in there with all that noise," she said. "Let's see. . . ah, yes, this is nice and cozy. "**

**It was a broom cupboard. Harry stared at her.**

None of the adults bar Snape and Umbridge looked happy at that either

**"Come along, dear - that's right - lovely," said Rita Skeeter again, perching herself precariously upon an upturned bucket, pushing Harry down onto a cardboard box, and closing the door, throwing them into darkness. "Let's see now. . . "**

**She unsnapped her crocodile-skin handbag and pulled out a handful of candles, which she lit with a wave of her wand and magicked into midair, so that they could see what they were doing.**

**"You won't mind, Harry, if I use a Quick-Quotes Quill? It leaves me free to talk to you normally. . . "**

"Those are illegal" said Tonks

Hermione smiled, illegal quills will be the least of illegal things by the time they were done reading these books

**"A what?" said Harry.**

**Rita Skeeter's smile widened. Harry counted three gold teeth. She reached again into her crocodile bag and drew out a long acid-green quill and a roll of parchment,**

Eyes were narrowing around the hall

**which she stretched out between them on a crate of Mrs. Skower's All-Purpose Magical Mess Remover. She put the tip of the green quill into her mouth, sucked it for a moment with apparent relish, then placed it upright on the parchment, where it stood balanced on its point, quivering slightly.**

Hermione smiled for some reason causing several people around her to raise an eyebrow

**"Testing. . . my name is Rita Skeeter, Daily Prophet reporter. "**

**Harry hooked down quickly at the quill. The moment Rita Skeeter had spoken, the green quill had started to scribble, skidding across the parchment:**

Remus growled, he had read that article

**Attractive blonde Rita Skeeter, forty-three, who's savage quill has punctured many inflated reputations**

Several people snorted, that was one word for it

**"Lovely," said Rita Skeeter, yet again, and she ripped the top piece of parchment off, crumpled it up, and stuffed it into her handbag. Now she leaned toward Harry and said, "So, Harry. . . what made you decide to enter the Triwizard Tournament?"**

"For the last time I didn't" growled Harry

"Er your talking to a book" said Hermione

Harry blushed whilst a few people chuckled, although many were still feeling like dirt for not believing him

**"Er -" said Harry again, but he was distracted by the quill. Even though he wasn't speaking, it was dashing across the parchment, and in its wake he could make out a fresh sentence:**

Sirius was curious as to what she had written

**An ugly scar, souvenier of a tragic past, disfigures the otherwise charming face of Harry Potter, whose eyes -**   
**"Ignore the quill, Harry," said Rita Skeeter firmly. Reluctantly Harry looked up at her instead. "Now - why did you decide to enter the tournament, Harry?"**

Harry just grumbled

**"I didn't," said Harry. "I don't know how my name got into the Goblet of Fire. I didn't put it in there. "**

"I do now" said Harry

People looked up with interest but he didn't elaborate

**Rita Skeeter raised one heavily penciled eyebrow.**

**"Come now, Harry, there's no need to be scared of getting into trouble. We all know you shouldn't really have entered at all. But don't worry about that. Our readers love a rebel. "**

"Not doubt" muttered Harry

**"But I didn't enter," Harry repeated. "I don't know who -"**

**"How do you feel about the tasks ahead?" said Rita Skeeter. "Excited? Nervous?"**

**"I haven't really thought. . . yeah, nervous, I suppose," said Harry. His insides squirmed uncomfortably as he spoke.**

Harry shook his head, if had known what lay head truly he might have just run away from Hogwarts all together

**"Champions have died in the past, haven't they?" said Rita Skeeter briskly. "Have you thought about that at all?"**

**"Well. . . they say it's going to be a lot safer this year," said Harry.**

"Not safe enough" said Sirius still angry that his godson had gone through all of that

**The quill whizzed across the parchment between them, back and forward as though it were skating.**

**"Of course, you've looked death in the face before, haven't you?" said Rita Skeeter, watching him closely. "How would you say that's affected you?"**

**"Er," said Harry, yet again.**

"Not in the way it would affect normal people" said Fred trying once again inject a bit of humor

Once again it failed miserably

**"Do you think that the trauma in your past might have made you keen to prove yourself? To live up to your name? Do you think that perhaps you were tempted to enter the Triwizard Tournament because -"**

**"I didn't enter," said Harry, starting to feel irritated.**

Molly scowled she really did dislike that women

**"Can you remember your parents at all?" said Rita Skeeter, talking over him.**

"What sort question is that" said Molly looking upset

Sirius and Remus both looked ready to curse Rita into oblivion

Hermione on the hand was having to work hard to avoid laughing out loud

**"No," said Harry.**

**"How do you think they'd feel if they knew you were competing in the Triwizard Tournament? Proud? Worried? Angry?"**

**Harry was feeling really annoyed now. How on earth was he to know how his parents would feel if they were alive?**

"They would be worried" said Remus

"Lily would be furious at people's reaction" said Sirius

Those who had taught Lily and James nodded

**He could feel Rita Skeeter watching him very intently. Frowning, he avoided her gaze and hooked down at words the quill had just written:**

**Tears fill those startlingly green eyes as our conversation turns to the parents he can barely remember.**   
**"I have NOT got tears in my eyes!" said Harry loudly.**

Molly found herself growing quite angry Rita

**Before Rita Skeeter could say a word, the door of the broom cupboard was pulled open. Harry looked around, blinking in the bright light. Albus Dumbledore stood there, looking down at both of them, squashed into the cupboard.**

"Thank goodness" sighed Molly

**"Dumbledore!" cried Rita Skeeter, with every appearance of delight - but Harry noticed that her quill and the parchment had suddenly vanished from the box of Magical Mess Remover, and Rita's clawed fingers were hastily snapping shut the clasp of her crocodile-skin bag.**

Once again the aurors were impressed with how observant the boy was

**"How are you?" she said, standing up and holding out one of her large, mannish hands to Dumbledore. "I hope you saw my piece over the summer about the International Confederation of Wizards' Conference?"**

**"Enchantingly nasty," said Dumbledore, his eyes twinkling. "I particularly enjoyed your description of me as an obsolete dingbat. "**

A few people snorted

McGonagall and Mrs Weasley didn't look impressed

**Rita Skeeter didn't look remotely abashed.**

**"I was just making the point that some of your ideas are a little old-fashioned, Dumbhedore, and that many wizards in the street -"**

"Think he is the greatest wizard of all time" said McGonagall

Dumbledore looked down sadly being great didn't stopped Ariana dying

**"I will be delighted to hear the reasoning behind the rudeness, Rita," said Dumbledore, with a courteous bow and a smile, "but I'm afraid we will have to discuss the matter later. The Weighing of the Wands is about to start, and it cannot take place if one of our champions is hidden in a broom cupboard. "**

Harry had been rather grateful for Dumbledore's timely appereance

**Very glad to get away from Rita Skeeter, Harry hurried back into the room. The other champions were now sitting in chairs near the door, and he sat down quickly next to Cedric,**

The Hufflepuffs still mourned the loss of Cedric

**hooking up at the velvet-covered table, where four of the five judges were now sitting - Professor Karkaroff, Madame Maxime, Mr. Crouch, and Ludo Bagman. Rita Skeeter settled herself down in a corner;**

Sirius and Remus scowled

Remus made a mental note to show Sirius her articles on Harry

**Harry saw her slip the parchment out of her bag again, spread it on her knee, suck the end of the Quick-Quotes Quill, and place it once more on the parchment.**

"Good keep your eye on the enemy" growled Moody

"Alastor" sighed Molly sounding exasparated

**"May I introduce Mr. Ollivander?" said Dumbledore, taking his place at the judges' table and talking to the champions. "He will be checking your wands to ensure that they are in good condition before the tournament. "**

Harry was thanking his lucky stars that his wand was in working condition

**Harry hooked around, and with a jolt of surprise saw an old wizard with large, pale eyes standing quietly by the window. Harry had met Mr. Ollivander before - he was the wand-maker from whom Harry had bought his own wand over three years ago in Diagon Alley.**

Harry thought back to that day, one of the happiest memories he had

**"Mademoiselle Delacour, could we have you first, please?" said Mr. Ollivander, stepping into the empty space in the middle of the room.**

Fleur smiled at that, the man was so polite

**Fleur Delacour swept over to Mr. Ollivander and handed him her wand.**

**"Hmm. . . " he said.**

Mr Ollivander nodded

**He twirled the wand between his long fingers like a baton and it emitted a number of pink and gold sparks. Then he held it chose to his eyes and examined it carefully.**

**"Yes," he said quietly, "nine and a half inches. . . inflexible. . . rosewood. . . and containing. . . dear me. . . "**

"That was a surprise" said Ollivander

People looked at him, what was a surprise

**"An 'air from ze 'ead of a veela," said Fleur. "One of my grandmuzzer's. "**

**So Fleur was part veela, thought Harry, making a mental note to tell Ron. . . then he remembered that Ron wasn't speaking to him.**

Ron continued to just stare at the table silently

Meanwhile Umbridge sneered mentally _filthy half-breed_

**"Yes," said Mr. Ollivander, "yes, I've never used veela hair myself, of course. I find it makes for rather temperamental wands. . . however, to each his own, and if this suits you. . . "**

Fleur smiled, she loved her wand

**Mr. Ollivander ran his fingers along the wand, apparently checking for scratches or bumps; then he muttered, "Orchideous!" and a bunch of flowers burst from the wand tip.**

A few people smiled

**"Very well, very well, it's in fine working order," said Mr. Ollivander, scooping up the flowers and handing them to Fleur with her wand. "Mr. Diggory, you next. "**

Fleur smiled and Bill felt a small twitch of jealousy

**Fleur glided back to her seat, smiling at Cedric as he passed her.**

A lightbulb went off in several people's heads including Molly's

**"Ah, now, this is one of mine, isn't it?" said Mr. Ollivander, with much more enthusiasm, as Cedric handed over his wand. "Yes, I remember it well. Containing a single hair from the tail of a particularly fine male unicorn. . . must have been seventeen hands; nearly gored me with his horn after I plucked his tail.**

Several people chuckled at that

**Twelve and a quarter inches. . . ash. . . pleasantly springy. It's in fine condition. . . You treat it regularly?"**

**"Polished it last night," said Cedric, grinning.**

More than a few people looked surprised, you were supposed to polish your wand

**Harry hooked down at his own wand. He could see finger marks all over it. He gathered a fistful of robe from his knee and tried to rub it clean surreptitiously. Several gold sparks shot out of the end of it. Fleur Delacour gave him a very patronizing look, and he desisted.**

Fleur smiled apologetically

**Mr. Ollivander sent a stream of silver smoke rings across the room from the tip of Cedric's wand, pronounced himself satisfied, and then said, "Mr. Krum, if you please. "**

Viktor sat up

**Viktor Krum got up and slouched, round-shouldered and duck-footed, toward Mr. Ollivander. He thrust out his wand and stood scowling, with his hands in the pockets of his robes.**

**"Hmm," said Mr. Ollivander, "this is a Gregorovitch creation, unless I'm much mistaken? A fine wand-maker, though the styling is never quite what I. . . however. . . "**

Hermione frowned she had heard that name before and she wasn't sure where

**He lifted the wand and examined it minutely, turning it over and over before his eyes.**

**"Yes. . . hornbeam and dragon heartstring?" he shot at Krum, who nodded. "Rather thicker than one usually sees. . . quite rigid. . . ten and a quarter inches. . . Avis!"**

**The hornbeam wand let off a blast hike a gun, and a number of small, twittering birds flew out of the end**

Several people looked like they wanted to try that spell for themselves

**and through the open window into the watery sunlight.**

**"Good," said Mr. Ollivander, handing Krum back his wand. "Which leaves. . . Mr. Potter. "**

Harry sighed

**Harry got to his feet and walked past Krum to Mr. Ollivander. He handed over his wand.**

**"Aaaah, yes," said Mr. Ollivander, his pale eyes suddenly gleaming. "Yes, yes, yes. How well I remember. "**

Ollivander nodded he found very odd that it was that wand that became Harry's

**Harry could remember too. He could remember it as though it had happened yesterday. . . .**

**Four summers ago, on his eleventh birthday,**

Harry couldn't help but grin, that had been the best birthday ever

**he had entered Mr. Ollivander's shop with Hagrid to buy a wand. Mr. Ollivander had taken his measurements and then started handing him wands to try. Harry had waved what felt like every wand in the shop,**

Harry could feel himself getting lost in a pleasant memory

**until at last he had found the one that suited him - this one, which was made of holly, eleven inches long, and contained a single feather from the tail of a phoenix.**

Harry couldn't help but think why Fawkes had donated only two feathers

**Mr. Ollivander had been very surprised that Harry had been so compatible with this wand. "Curious," he had said, "curious," and not until Harry asked what was curious had Mr. Olhivander explained that the phoenix feather in Harry's wand had come from the same bird that had supplied the core of Lord Voldemort's.**

"That is one hell of a coincidence" said Hermione thoughtfully

"It is, but it saved my life" said Harry

**Harry had never shared this piece of information with anybody. He was very fond of his wand, and as far as he was concerned its relation to Voldemort's wand was something it couldn't help - rather as he couldn't help being related to Aunt Petunia.**

"Yes that is unfortunate" said Lee

This caused Harry to smile slightly

**However, he really hoped that Mr. Ollivander wasn't about to tell the room about it. He had a funny feeling Rita Skeeter's Quick-Quotes Quill might just explode with excitement if he did.**

"It will now" muttered Harry bitterly, yet another secret he didn't have

**Mr. Ollivander spent much longer examining Harry's wand than anyone else's. Eventually, however, he made a fountain of wine shoot out of it, and handed it back to Harry, announcing that it was still in perfect condition.**

Harry made a mental note to take better care of his wand in future

**"Thank you all," said Dumbledore, standing up at the judges' table. "You may go back to your lessons now - or perhaps it would be quicker just to go down to dinner, as they are about to end -"**

Harry had been glad about that, he really didn't want to go back to Potions

**Feeling that at last something had gone right today, Harry got up to leave, but the man with the black camera jumped up and cleared his throat.**

Something went right, then very wrong thought Harry

**"Photos, Dumbledore, photos!" cried Bagman excitedly. "All the judges and champions, what do you think, Rita?"**

**"Er - yes, let's do those first," said Rita Skeeter, whose eyes were upon Harry again. "And then perhaps some individual shots. "**

Molly, McGonagall and Pomfrey shook their heads in disgust at Rita

**The photographs took a long time. Madame Maxime cast everyone else into shadow wherever she stood, and the photographer couldn't stand far enough back to get her into the frame;**

Hagrid chuckled a little at that

**eventually she had to sit while everyone else stood around her. Karkaroff kept twirling his goatee around his finger to give it an extra curl;**

Viktor shook his head, Karkaroff would never change

**Krum, whom Harry would have thought would have been used to this sort of thing, skulked, half-hidden, at the back of the group.**

"I hate as much as you do" said Viktor

Harry nodded in understanding

Ron once again felt like a terrible human being, he knew better than anyone how much Harry hated it

**T** **he photographer seemed keenest to get Fleur at the front, but Rita Skeeter kept hurrying forward and dragging Harry into greater prominence. Then she insisted on separate shots of all the champions. At last, they were free to go.**

**Harry went down to dinner. Hermione wasn't there - he supposed she was still in the hospital wing having her teeth fixed.**

McGonagall continued to throw angry looks at Snape

**He ate alone at the end of the table, then returned to Gryffindor Tower, thinking of all the extra work on Summoning Charms that he had to do. Up in the dormitory, he came across Ron.**

Molly smiled he was going to apologise

**"You've had an owl," said Ron brusquely the moment he walked in. He was pointing at Harry's pillow. The school barn owl was waiting for him there.**

Sirius breathed, Harry had his reply

**"Oh - right," said Harry.**

Molly's smile turned to a frown

**"And we've got to do our detentions tomorrow night, Snape's dungeon," said Ron.**

"Oh unfortunate" said Fred trying to inject a bit of humor

It worked slightly as there were a couple of small smiles

**He then walked straight out of the room, not looking at Harry.**

Arthur sighed he and Molly would be talking with Ron later

**For a moment, Harry considered going after him - he wasn't sure whether he wanted to talk to him or hit him, both seemed quite appealing - but the lure of Sirius's answer was too strong. Harry strode over to the barn owl, took the letter off its leg, and unrolled it.**

"Did you not think to check if anyone was still around" growled Moody "Use your brain boy"

Harry slapped himself mentally that was careless

"Alastor" said McGonagall sternly Moody ignored her

**Harry -**   
**I can't say everything I would like to in a letter, it's too risky in case the owl is intercepted - we need to talk face-to-face. Can you ensure that you are alone by the fire in Gryffindor Tower at one o'clock in the morning on the 22nd ofNovember?**   
**I know better than anyone that you can look after yourself and while you're around Dumbledore and Moody I don't think anyone will be able to hurt you. However, someone seems to be having a good try. Entering you in that tournament would have been very risky, especially right under Dumbkdore's nose.**   
**Be on the watch, Harry. I still want to hear about anything unusual. Let me know about the 22nd ofNovember as quickly as you can.**   
**Sirius**

"That's the end" said Parvati

"I think we will take a break for lunch" said Dumbledore and the tables instantly filled themselves with food

As people started to eat

McGonagall turned to Snape pointing at the small door behind the staff table she hissed "In their now"

Amelia caught McGonagall's eye who nodded, she and Dumbledore also walked through the door...


	23. The Talk

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Okay folks I apologies for the delay, here are more chapters now that I have my laptop back

Snape could hear the sounds of the students in the hall eating lunch, however that noise was cut sharply by a loud bang as McGonagall slammed the door shut.

Dumbledore quickly cast a silencing charm.

"Well what do you have to say for yourself," asked McGonagall her lips white with barely suppressed fury

Snape didn't say anything, he felt it would be in his best interest to keep quiet

"How dare you treat students like that" McGonagall continued barely above a whisper

"I can treat them..." began Snape

"NO YOU CAN'T" roared McGonagall and Snape flinched, in slight fear of his life

"YOU ARE A BULLY AND A COWARD" continued McGonagall, Snape opened his mouth to argue but McGonagall snarled "Silence" and silence there was from Snape

"YOU MADE MISS GRANGER CRY" McGonagall continued to roar at the top of her voice and Dumbledore doubled the strength of his silencing charm

"YOU BULLY MR POTTER AND MR LONGBOTTOM, IS IT ANY WONDER THEY STRUGGLE IN YOUR CLASS"

Snape said nothing

"YOU SHOW BLATANT FAVOURITISM" roared McGonagall before stopping to regain her breath

Whilst McGonagall stopped to catch her breath Amelia stepped in

"Professor Dumbledore" she began in an icy tone "I will be authorizing the Department of Magical Law enforcement to conduct a review into all the teaching staff he at Hogwarts"

Dumbledore simply sighed and nodded his agreement, Amelia then turned to Professor Snape

"Professor Snape," she said "I am aware that at one stage that you were a death eater" Snape nodded stiffly, he did not think it wise to interrupt or anger the head of the DMLE

"Professor Dumbledore once told me that you were completely reformed, however, I am afraid I am beginning to doubt his words" she continued

Snape gritted his teeth, he had a nasty feeling he knew where this was going

"And therefore, I will authorizing the Department to conduct a review into you," said Amelia and Snape just nodded angrily

Dumbledore checked his watched "We will be finishing this later, however, lunch is coming to an end"

Amelia and Minerva both nodded and walked out leaving Snape and Dumbledore alone

"I thought you wished to protect the boy for Lily's sake," said Dumbledore

Snape once again couldn't think of anything to say

"Minerva and Amelia are both right, this can't continue," said Dumbledore "You and I will be having a discussion about your continuing contract here"

At that Dumbledore also turned and left leaving Snape with his thoughts...


	24. Chapter 24

Harry looked up as he saw McGonagall, Dumbledore and Madame Bones stride out but without Snape.

Leaning over to Ron and Hermione "What do you think they said to Snape" he asked

They both looked up

"Dunno," said Ron "Maybe they've sacked him" he continued looking hopeful

Daphne looked at her head of house and sighed, unlike most other Slytherins she was aware of how unfair Snape could be to other students, but like most students, she wouldn't dare speak against him.

* * *

McGonagall sat at the table not touching her food, she was too angry both at herself and at Severus, how could she have been so blind.

Dumbledore was also not eating he was trying to come up with a solution to the problem that was Severus

As people began to finish McGonagall leaned over to Dumbledore

"Are we going to start reading without Severus?" she asked

Dumbledore looked towards the chamber "I think so" he said standing up

The hall fell quite

"Who would like to read next," he asked

"I will," said Cho putting her hand up

"Excellent" beamed Dumbledore levitating the book over to

Cho opened the book to the correct page and read

**Chapter 19 The Hungarian Horntail**

More than a few people sat up including Remus and Sirius neither of whom were looking forward to hearing the details of the first task, 

**The prospect of talking face-to-face with Sirius was all that sustained Harry over the next fortnight, the only bright spot on a horizon that had never looked darker.**

Harry shook his head, how naive

**The shock of finding himself school champion had worn off slightly now and the fear of what was facing him had started to sink in.**

Amelia frowned, "Was no counselling offered for any of the champions?" she asked

McGonagall looked at her "No we thought that the champions would come to us if they needed support"

Amelia shook her head at that and McGonagall looked ashamed of herself

**The first task was drawing steadily nearer; he felt as though it were crouching ahead of him hike some horrific monster, barring his path.**

Fleur and Viktor looked like they agreed completely with that description

**He had never suffered nerves like these; they were way beyond anything he had experienced before a Quidditch match, not even his last one against Slytherin, which had decided who would win the Quidditch Cup.**

Neville turned to Harry "It's weird to think of you being scared of anything"

Harry looked at him seriously "All those other situations someone else was in danger and so I had to think about them, the quidditch I chose to do it was fun and the pressure made me perform better" taking a deep breath he continued

"But this I had no say in and I was affectively performing for the entertainment of others"

Nobody could say anything to that, they had never thought about it like that

**Harry was finding it hard to think about the future at all; he felt as though his whole life had been heading up to, and would finish with, the first task. . . .**

Fleur and Viktor nodded, they had felt the same way

**Admittedly, he didn't see how Sirius was going to make him feel any better about having to perform an unknown piece of difficult and dangerous magic in front of hundreds of people,**

More people looked thoughtful when you put it that way...

**but the mere sight of a friendly face would be something at the moment. Harry wrote back to Sirius saying that he would be beside the common room fire at the time Sirius had suggested; and he and Hermione spent a long time going over plans for forcing any stragglers out of the common room on the night in question.**

Moody nodded "Good, plan ahead" he barked approvingly

McGonagall didn't reprimand him, she was still to angry to speak

**If the worst came to the worst, they were going to drop a bag of Dungbombs, but they hoped they wouldn't have to resort to that - Filch would skin them alive.**

Harry and Hermione looked at each, they were quite relieved that I didn't come to that

Filch just scowled and hugged Mrs Norris closer

**In the meantime, life became even worse for Harry within the confines of the castle, for Rita Skeeter had published her piece about the Triwizard Tournament, and it had turned out to be not so much a report on the tournament as a highly coloured life story of Harry.**

The adults who had read it were angry although not surprised

**Much of the front page had been given over to a picture of Harry; the article (continuing on pages two, six, and seven) had been all about Harry, the names of the Beauxbatons and Durmstrang champions (misspelt) had been squashed into the last line of the article, and Cedric hadn't been mentioned at all.**

More people shook their heads, why Skeeter had been sent to cover the tournament was beyond many of them

**The article had appeared ten days ago, and Harry still got a sick, burning feeling of shame in his stomach**

"Well she won't be writing anything for a while," said Hermione loudly with a smirk and people looked at her with interest,

When she didn't elaborate people felt their curiosity peak further

**every time he thought about it. Rita Skeeter had reported him saying an awful lot of things that he couldn't remember ever saying in his life, let alone in that broom cupboard.**

"Don't worry?" said Tonks "She does it to everyone"

Hermione continued to smirk and look very pleased with herself

**I suppose I get my strength from my parents. I know they'd be very proud of me if they could see me now. . . . Yes, sometimes at night I still cry about them, I'm not ashamed to admit it. . . . I know nothing will hurt me during the tournament, because they're watching over me. . .**

Harry grimaced at that

Several Slytherins wanted to laugh but decided it was probably best if they didn't

**But Rita Skeeter had gone even further than transforming his "er's" into long, sickly sentences: She had interviewed other people about him too.**

**Harry has at last found love at Hogwarts. His close friend, Colin Creevey, says that Harry is rarely seen out of the company of one Hermione Granger, a stunningly pretty Muggle-born girl who, like Harry, is one of the top students in the school.**

"I'm not one of the top students," said Harry

Hermione opened her mouth, but Harry sent her to look that said not now

**From the moment the article had appeared, Harry had had to endure people -Slytherins, mainly - quoting it at him as he passed and making sneering comments.**

**"Want a hanky, Potter, in case you start crying in Transfiguration?"**

"Three guesses who that was," said Daphne to Tracey who nodded grimly

They both glared at Draco and Pansy

**"Since when have you been one of the top students in the school, Potter? Or is this a school you and Longbottom have set up together?"**

Draco looked anywhere but his mother

**"Hey - Harry!"**

**"Yeah, that's right!" Harry found himself shouting as he wheeled around in the corridor, having had just about enough. "I've just been crying my eyes out over my dead mum, and I'm just off to do a bit more. . . "**

Cho looked up she remembered this

**"No - it was just - you dropped your quill. "**

**It was Cho. Harry felt the colour rising in his face.**

Cho couldn't help but grit her teeth watching Harry and Daphne sitting together over at the Gryffindor table, 

**"Oh - right - sorry," he muttered, taking the quill back.**

**"Er. . . good luck on Tuesday," she said. "I really hope you do well. "**

Harry turned to her "Thank you" he said seriously

Cho smiled at him "I never believed for a second you would enter your own name"

Harry returned a grateful smile and Professor Flitwick looked at her pleased

Daphne narrowed her eyes at the Ravenclaw, 

**Which left Harry feeling extremely stupid.**

"Because you are" muttered Pansy to quietly for anyone else to hear

**Hermione had come in for her fair share of unpleasantness too, but she hadn't yet started yelling at innocent bystanders; in fact, Harry was full of admiration for the way she was handling the situation.**

Hermione looked around "I was hardly going to be bothered by people believing an article written by a fraud"

Many people who had made fun of her and Harry now looked quite ashamed of themselves

**"Stunningly pretty? Her?" Pansy Parkinson had shrieked the first time she had come face-to-face with Hermione after Rita's article had appeared. "What was she judging against - a chipmunk?"**

Daphne looked at her coldly and said "No I think she was comparing against a pug"

Hermione smiled at Daphe gratefully which Daphne returned, 

Pansy turned an ugly shade of red but didn't say anything

**"Ignore it," Hermione said in a dignified voice, holding her head in the air and stalking past the sniggering Slytherin girls as though she couldn't hear them. "Just ignore it, Harry. "**

Harry sighed, he really did need to learn to control his temper

**But Harry couldn't ignore it. Ron hadn't spoken to him at all since he had told him about Snape's detentions.**

Fred and George exchanged looks, they really needed to talk to Ron at some point

Molly and Arthur were thinking the same thing

**Harry had half hoped they would make things up during the two hours they were forced to pickle rats' brains in Snape's dungeon, but that had been the day Rita's article had appeared, which seemed to have confirmed Ron's belief that Harry was really enjoying all the attention.**

Ron was beginning to wonder why Harry and Hermione were still friends

Harry looked at Ron "I forgave you a long time ago" he said

Ron looked up "But I haven't forgiven myself," he said shortly

Neither Harry nor Hermione could think of anything to say to that

**Hermione was furious with the pair of them; she went from one to the other, trying to force them to talk to each other, but Harry was adamant: He would talk to Ron again only if Ron admitted that Harry hadn't put his name in the Goblet of Fire and apologized for calling him a liar.**

Hermione sighed "I guess that was fair"

Ron couldn't argue with that

**"I didn't start this," Harry said stubbornly. "It's his problem. "**

**"You miss him!" Hermione said impatiently. "And I know he misses you -"**

Ron went back to staring at the table, he really had missed Harry

**"Miss him?" said Harry. "I don't miss him. . . "**

A few people wore looks the quite clearly said they didn't believe that

**But this was a downright lie.**

Nobody looked surprised at that

**Harry liked Hermione very much, but she just wasn't the same as Ron. There was much less laughter and a lot more hanging around in the library when Hermione was your best friend.**

"You're still best friend," said Harry very quickly

Hermione waved him off with a smile

**Harry still hadn't mastered Summoning Charms, he seemed to have developed something of a block about them, and Hermione insisted that learning the theory would help.**

"Did it?" asked Neville thinking about how Harry had summoned his broom

Harry shook his head and motioned to the book

**They consequently spent a lot of time poring over books during their lunchtimes.**

"What an awful way to spend your free time," said George looking appalled

"It is something you and your brother might like to try doing at some point," said McGonagall

Both twins looked horrified by the thought

**Viktor Krum was in the library an awful lot too,**

More than a few people looked surprised

"I got top grades at Durmstrang, that requires a lot of studying"

Many of the girls looked at him in adoration, clever and sporty

**and Harry wondered what he was up to. Was he studying, or was he looking for things to help him through the first task?**

"Several things," said Viktor looking sideways at Hermione

Harry noticed Ron didn't look happy that Viktor was talking to Hermione,

**Hermione often complained about Krum being there - not that he ever bothered them - but because groups of giggling girls often turned up to spy on him from behind bookshelves, and Hermione found the noise distracting.**

Many girls turned bright red as Hermione glared at each of them in turn

**"He's not even good-looking!" she muttered angrily, glaring at Krum's sharp profile. "They only like him because he's famous!**

"Yeah I know that feeling," said Harry loudly

**They wouldn't look twice at him if he couldn't do that Wonky-Faint thing -"**

The quidditch fans looked horrified by Hermione's lack of understanding about quidditch moves

**"Wronski Feint," said Harry, through gritted teeth. Quite apart from liking to get Quidditch terms correct, it caused him another pang to imagine Ron's expression if he could have heard Hermione talking about Wonky-Faints.**

Ron's expression now said it all

**It is a strange thing, but when you are dreading something and would give anything to slow downtime, it has a disobliging habit of speeding up.**

"I know what you mean," said Fleur

Viktor nodded as well

**The days until the first task seemed to slip by as though someone had fixed the clocks to work at double speed. Harry's feeling of barely controlled panic**

As understandable as it was for many people the idea of Harry Potter panicking was laughable

**was with him wherever he went, as everpresent as the snide comments about the Daily Prophet article.**

Hermione looked very please with herself over the fact that Rita would not posting many articles for a while

**On the Saturday before the first task, all students in the third year and above were permitted to visit the village of Hogsmeade. Hermione told Harry that it would do him good to get away from the castle for a bit, and Harry didn't need much persuasion.**

Harry nodded, it had been really good to get out of the castle for a bit

**"What about Ron, though?" he said. "Don't you want to go with him?"**

**"Oh. . . well. . . "Hermione went slightly pink. "I thought we might meet up with him in the Three Broomsticks. . . . "**

"Not bad," said Daphne with a kind smile "We will teach you Slytherin cunning yet"

Hermione smiled back at the Slytherin, she was really beginning to like Daphne

**"No," said Harry flatly.**

**"Oh Harry, this is so stupid -"**

"Somehow I don't think that will convince him," said Dean grinning

**"I'll come, but I'm not meeting Ron, and I'm wearing my Invisibility Cloak. "**

**"Oh all right then. . . " Hermione snapped, "but I hate talking to you in that cloak, I never know if I'm looking at you or not. "**

"That must get annoying laughed Daphne

"Oh it does" grinned Hermione

Harry just huffed

**So Harry put on his Invisibility Cloak in the dormitory, went back downstairs, and together he and Hermione set off for Hogsmeade.**

**Harry felt wonderfully free under the cloak; he watched other students walking past them as they entered the village, most of them sporting Support Cedric Diggory! badges, but no horrible remarks came his way for a change,**

Quite a few people once again quite ashamed of themselves

**and nobody was quoting that stupid article.**

Quite a few more people made a mental note to take Rita's work with a pinch of salt from now on

**"People keep looking at me now," said Hermione grumpily as they came out of Honeydukes Sweetshop later, eating large cream-filled chocolates. "They think I'm talking to myself. "**

**"Don't move your lips so much then. "**

Many people laughed at that

Even Harry and Hermione grinned

**"Come on, please just take off your cloak for a bit, no one's going to bother you here. "**

**"Oh yeah?" said Harry. "Look behind you. "**

**Rita Skeeter and her photographer friend**

"I would suggest keeping it on then," said Sirius

"I did" confirmed Harry

**had just emerged from the Three Broomsticks pub. Talking in low voices, they passed right by Hermione without hooking at her.**

"Thank goodness for that," said Molly

**Harry backed into the wall of Honeydukes to stop Rita Skeeter from hitting him with her crocodile-skin handbag. When they were gone, Harry said, "She's staying in the village. I bet she's coming to watch the first task. "**

"Unfortunately" muttered Harry

**As he said it, his stomach flooded with a wave of molten panic. He didn't mention this; he and Hermione hadn't discussed what was coming in the first task much;**

A few people looked surprised about it

**he had the feeling she didn't want to think about it.**

"I didn't" confirmed Hermione

**"She's gone," said Hermione, looking right through Harry toward the end of the street. "Why don't we go and have a butterbeer in the Three Broomsticks, it's a bit cold, isn't it? You don't have to talk to Ron!" she added irritably, correctly interpreting his silence.**

Quite a few people laughed at that

**The Three Broomsticks was packed, mainly with Hogwarts students enjoying their free afternoon, but also with a variety of magical people, Harry rarely saw anywhere else.**

"Good thing too, muggles would not react well to seeing hags and trolls," said Hermione

The muggle-borns and some half-bloods all nodded at that statement

**Harry supposed that as Hogsmeade was the only all-wizard village in Britain, it was a bit of a haven for creatures like hags, who were not as adept as wizards at disguising themselves.**

"I will explain it to everyone later," said Dumbledore as a half-dozen people opened their mouths to ask why

**It was very hard to move through crowds in the Invisibility Cloak, in case you accidentally trod on someone, which tended to lead to awkward questions.**

More laughter

Harry was quite glad there was some laughter still in this book, there was not going to be as much later on

**Harry edged slowly toward a spare table in the corner while Hermione went to buy drinks. On his way through the pub, Harry spotted Ron, who was sitting with Fred, George, and Lee Jordan.**

"We didn't know that he didn't believe you," said Fred

Both twins gave their brother a look that said we will be talking later

**Resisting the urge to give Ron a good hard poke in the back of the head, he finally reached the table and sat down at it.**

Ron couldn't help but think he would've deserved that

**Hermione joined him a moment later and slipped him a butterbeer under his cloak.**

**"I look like such an idiot, sitting here on my own," she muttered. "Lucky I brought something to do. "**

"Not anymore," said Neville with a grin

"We're always going to assume that Harry is under the invisibility cloak now if we don't see him with you two" grinned Seamus

Quite a few people laughed as Harry and Hermione both huffed

Ron, however, didn't laugh, he hadn't thought about how Hermione might have also been affected

**And she pulled out a notebook in which she had been keeping a record of S. P. E. W. members. Harry saw his and Ron's names at the top of the very shortlist. It seemed a long time ago that they had sat making up those predictions together,**

Ron smiled at the memory as did Harry

Trewlaney just scowled

**and Hermione had turned up and appointed them secretary and treasurer.**

A few people chuckled at that

**"You know, maybe I should try and get some of the villagers involved in S. P. E. W.," Hermione said thoughtfully, looking around the pub.**

**"Yeah, right," said Harry. He took a swig of butterbeer under his cloak. "Hermione, when are you going to give up on this spew stuff?"**

Hermione looked down at the table, she didn't want to give it

**"When house-elves have decent wages and working conditions!" she hissed back. "You know, I'm starting to think it's time for more direct action. I wonder how you get into the school kitchens?"**

"Pupils are not allowed in the school kitchens Miss Granger" simpered Umbridge

"Now now Dolores," said Dumbledore in his most grandfatherly manner "Miss Granger was simply inquiring"

Umbridge just sat that looking more than ever like an ugly toad

**"No idea, ask Fred and George," said Harry.**

Both twins sighed

**Hermione lapsed into thoughtful silence, while Harry drank his butterbeer, watching the people in the pub. All of them looked cheerful and relaxed. Ernie Macmillan and Hannah Abbot were swapping Chocolate Frog cards at a nearby table; both of them sporting Support Cedric Diggory!**

The aforementioned two winced and turned to apologise

Harry waved them off "It's fine, I understand"

They nodded but still looked guilty

**badges on their cloaks. Right over by the door, he saw Cho and a large group of her Ravenclaw friends. She wasn't wearing a Cedric badge though. . . . This cheered up Harry very slightly. . . .**

Harry buried his face in his hands, this was going to get very embarrassing, glancing sideways he frowned when he noticed Cho and Daphne glaring at each other, 

**What wouldn't he have given to be one of these people, sitting around laughing and talking, with nothing to worry about but homework?**

Sirius and Remus scowled _Stupid death eater_ they both thought in unison

**He imagined how it would have felt to be here if his name hadn't come out of the Goblet of Fire. He wouldn't be wearing the Invisibility Cloak, for one thing. Ron would be sitting with him.**

Ron just sat there and said nothing

**The three of them would probably be happily imagining what deadly dangerous task the school champions would be facing on Tuesday. He'd have been really looking forward to it, watching them do whatever it was. . .**

Harry shuddered _Dragons_

**cheering on Cedric with everyone else, safe in a seat at the back of the stands. . .**

Harry just looked down, as always he wondered what might have been

**He wondered how the other champions were feeling. Every time he had seen Cedric lately, he had been surrounded by admirers and looking nervous but excited. Harry glimpsed Fleur Delacour from time to time in the corridors; she looked exactly as she always did, haughty and unruffled.**

Harry turned to her "I was impressed that you were holding yourself together so well"

Fleur smiled at him "I was only managing that in public"

Harry nodded in understanding

**And Krum just sat in the library, poring over books.**

"I was trying to study for the first task as well as my classes," he said

Most people nodded and also missed the look he gave Hermione

**Harry thought of Sirius, and the tight, tense knot in his chest seemed to ease slightly. He would be speaking to him in just over twelve hours, for tonight was the night they were meeting at the common room fire - assuming nothing went wrong,**

A few people groaned

"Did something go wrong" asked Neville

Harry just motioned to the book whilst glancing sideways at Ron

**as everything else had done lately. . .**

**"Look, it's Hagrid!" said Hermione.**

Many people smiled up at the gamekeeper who grinned back

Umbridge just scowled _filthy half-breed_

**The back of Hagrid's enormous shaggy head - he had mercifully abandoned his bunches -**

"Thank goodness for that" whispered Lavender to Parvati

**emerged over the crowd. Harry wondered why he hadn't spotted him at once, as Hagrid was so large,**

"Observation boy, I thought you were good at that" barked Moody

McGonagall just sighed and didn't bother reprimanding him

Harry, however, was furious with himself, he must learn to pay more attention to his surroundings

**but standing up carefully, he saw that Hagrid had been leaning low, talking to Professor Moody. Hagrid had his usual enormous tankard in front of him,**

"No excuses" barked Moody

Harry nodded whilst others just rolled their eyes

**but Moody was drinking from his hip flask. Madam Rosmerta, the pretty landlady, didn't seem to think much of this;**

Several people laughed

Moody however once again narrowed his eyes, he was furious that the scumbag had impersonated him so well

**she was looking askance at Moody as she collected glasses from tables around them. Perhaps she thought it was an insult to her mulled mead,**

The chuckles continued

**but Harry knew better. Moody had told them all during their last Defense Against the Dark Arts lesson that he preferred to prepare his own food and drink at all times,**

Harry wondered for a moment if he should start doing that as well

**as it was so easy for Dark wizards to poison an unattended cup.**

Many of the younger years looked at Moody like he was crazy

**As Harry watched, he saw Hagrid and Moody get up to leave. He waved, then remembered that Hagrid couldn't see him.**

"Stupid" muttered Pansy to quietly for anyone to hear

**Moody, however, paused his magical eye on the corner where Harry was standing. He tapped Hagrid in the small of the back (being unable to reach his shoulder), muttered something to him,**

Quite a few people looked curious at that

**and then the pair of them made their way back across the pub toward Harry and Hermione's table.**

**"All right, Hermione?" said Hagrid loudly.**

Molly smiled "That's nice of you Hagrid"

Hagrid smiled

**"Hello," said Hermione, smiling back.**

**Moody limped around the table and bent down; Harry thought he was reading the S. P. E. W. notebook, until he muttered, "Nice cloak, Potter. "**

More than a few mouths fell open

**Harry stared at him in amazement. The large chunk missing from Moody's nose was particularly obvious at a few inches' distance. Moody grinned.**

**"Can your eye - I mean, can you -?"**

Moody looked quite pleased with all the people staring in shock at him

**"Yeah, it can see through Invisibility Cloaks," Moody said quietly. "And it's come in useful at times, I can tell you. "**

"I bet it does," said Seamus grinning

More than a few others were grinning as well

**Hagrid was beaming down at Harry too. Harry knew Hagrid couldn't see him, but Moody had obviously told Hagrid he was there. Hagrid now bent down on the pretext of reading the S. P. E. W. notebook as well,**

"As if that wasn't suspicious" muttered Pansy to Draco

Draco, however, wasn't really listening and just nodded absentmindedly

**and said in a whisper so low that only Harry could hear it, "Harry, meet me tonight at midnight at my cabin. Wear that cloak. "**

Quite a few people sat up interested

Umbridge sat hoping she would, at last, have some dirt on Potter and Hagrid

**Straightening up, Hagrid said loudly, "Nice ter see yeh, Hermione," winked, and departed. Moody followed him.**

**"Why does Hagrid want me to meet him at midnight?" Harry said, very surprised.**

Most people looked like they wanted the answer to that as well

All of a sudden Harry looked at Hermione worried "Do you think Hagrid will get into trouble for showing me the dragons" he whispered

Hermione chewed her lip nervously "Hopefully Dumbledore won't let anything happen" she whispered back

**"Does he?" said Hermione, looking startled. "I wonder what he's up to? I don't know whether you should go, Harry. . . . " She looked nervously around and hissed, "It might make you late for Sirius. "**

"Oh yeah" realised a lot of people

Neville turned to him "That must have taken some doing"

Harry just motioned to the book

**It was true that going down to Hagrid's at midnight would mean cutting his meeting with Sirius very fine indeed; Hermione suggested sending Hedwig down to Hagrid's to tell him he couldn't go -**

Hermione and Harry both exchanged looks it was a good thing he did go

**always assuming she would consent to take the note, of course - Harry, however, thought it better just to be quick at whatever Hagrid wanted him for. He was very curious to know what this might be;**

The faces of many in the hall echoed that statement

**Hagrid had never asked Harry to visit him so late at night.**

Umbridge sneered, asking a fourteen-year-old to sneak out at midnight how irresponsible

**At half-past eleven that evening, Harry, who had pretended to go up to bed early,**

"Good" barked Moody "Make sure people are not looking for you"

Several of the adults just rolled their eyes

**pulled the Invisibility Cloak back over himself and crept back downstairs through the common room. Quite a few people were still in there. The Creevey brothers had managed to get hold of a stack of Support Cedric Diggory! badges and were trying to bewitch them to make them say Support Harry Potter! instead.**

Harry looked at the boys and said "Thanks, you didn't have to do that"

The Creevy brothers just blushed

**So far, however, all they had managed to do was get the badges stuck on POTTER STINKS.**

Creevy brothers blushed

Hermione looked at them "I will show you how to do a spell-like that properly" she said kindly

They both smiled at her

**Harry crept past them to the portrait hole and waited for a minute or so, keeping an eye on his watch. Then Hermione opened the Fat Lady for him from outside as they had planned. He slipped past her with a whispered "Thanks!"**

Many people wished they had friends like that

Once again however Ron was feeling like a bum, he should've been then to help Harry as well

**and set off through the castle.**

Umbridge scowled, once again the boy was breaking the rules and no one seemed to want to punish him

**The grounds were very dark. Harry walked down the lawn toward the lights shining in Hagrid's cabin. The inside of the enormous Beauxbatons carriage was also lit up;**

"Good" barked Moody "Make sure you take note of your surroundings"

Many people rolled their eyes and Umbridge just sneered

**Harry could hear Madame Maxime talking inside it as he knocked on Hagrid's front door.**

**"You there, Harry?" Hagrid whispered, opening the door and looking around.**

"No, it's Casper the unfriendly ghost" snickered a third-year muggle-born

The muggle-borns and some half-bloods laughed whilst the rest of the hall looked confused

**"Yeah," said Harry, slipping inside the cabin and pulling the cloak down off his head. "What's up?"**

**"Got summat ter show yeh," said Hagrid.**

Quite a few adults raised their eyebrows

Umbridge, however, smiled a wide sickly smile as she realised what Hagrid must have done

**There was an air of enormous excitement about Hagrid. He was wearing a flower that resembled an oversized artichoke in his buttonhole.**

People's looks of interest turned to one's amusement mixed with amazement

Quite a few of the professors' shook their heads in despair

**It looked as though he had abandoned the use of axle grease, but he had certainly attempted to comb his hair - Harry could see the comb's broken teeth tangled in it.**

"I wonder when he last combed his hair" Parvati whispered to Lavender

**"What're you showing me?" Harry said warily, wondering if the skrewts had laid eggs, or Hagrid had managed to buy another giant three-headed dog off a stranger in a pub.**

Once again Umbridge was furious, all these crimes and the oaf was still allowed to walk free

**"Come with me, keep quiet, an' keep yerself covered with that cloak," said Hagrid. "We won' take Fang, he won' like it. . . "**

"Won't like what" asked Neville confused

Harry just motioned to the book

**"Listen, Hagrid, I can't stay long. . . . I've got to be back up at the castle by one o'clock -"**

"Oh yes" said Lavender worried "You have to meet Sirius"

"Don't worry we spoke" said Harry grinning at Sirius who beamed back

**But Hagrid wasn't listening; he was opening the cabin door and striding off into the night. Harry hurried to follow and found, to his great surprise, that Hagrid was leading him to the Beauxbatons carriage.**

George and Fred both waggled their eyebrows suggestively

McGonagall, however, noticed this and barked a warning "WEASLEY"

Both twins just filed this bit away for future pranks

**"Hagrid, what -?"**

**"Shhh!" said Hagrid, and he knocked three times on the door bearing the crossed golden wands.**

"Really boy use your brains, talking from underneath the cloak" growled Moody

Harry nodded, with hindsight that had been stupid

Once again several people rolled their eyes at the ex Auror

**Madame Maxime opened it. She was wearing a silk shawl wrapped around her massive shoulders. She smiled when she saw Hagrid.**

**"Ah, 'Agrid. . . it is time?"**

"Time for what," asked Fred waggling his eyebrows

His mother shot him and his brother warning looks

**"Bong-sewer," said Hagrid, beaming at her, and holding out a hand to help her down the golden steps.**

Quite a few boys wolf-whistled

Hagrid simply blushed whilst Umbridge and Lucius looked disgusted

**Madame Maxime closed the door behind her, Hagrid offered her his arm,**

"Ah how sweet" cooed a few girls

Hagrid went an even deeper shade of red

**and they set off around the edge of the paddock containing Madame Maxime's giant winged horses, with Harry, totally bewildered, running to keep up with them. Had Hagrid wanted to show him Madame Maxime?**

"You probably should've let him know Madame Maxine would be with you" said Sprout looking over at Hagrid

Hagrid looked quite upset he hadn't thought of that

**He could see her any old time he wanted. . . she wasn't exactly hard to miss. . . .**

Harry winced looking back that sounded quite rude, he turned to Fleur

Before he could say anything she said "Don't worry I know what you meant"

**But it seemed that Madame Maxime was in for the same treat as Harry, because after a while she said playfully, "Wair is it you are taking me, 'Agrid?"**

Those who hadn't worked it out looked like they wanted to know

Umbridge, unfortunately, was one of the ones who had figured it out

**"Yeh'll enjoy this," said Hagrid gruffly, "worth seein', trust me. On'y - don' go tellin' anyone I showed yeh, right? Yeh're not s'posed ter know. "**

Most of the Ravenclaws suddenly comprehended what it was Hagrid was showing Harry

**"Of course not," said Madame Maxime, fluttering her long black eyelashes.**

Hermione made an annoyed sound in the back of her throat

**And still they walked, Harry getting more and more irritated as he jogged along in their wake, checking his watch every now and then. Hagrid had some harebrained scheme in hand,**

Harry turned to Hagrid who looked crestfallen "I'm glad I came Hagrid, thank you"

Hagrid brightned instantly and beamed at Harry

**which might make him miss Sirius. If they didn't get there soon, he was going to turn around, go straight back to the castle, and leave Hagrid to enjoy his moonlit stroll with Madame Maxime. . . .**

Quite a few snorts were heard around the hall

**But then - when they had walked so far around the perimeter of the forest that the castle and the lake were out of sight - Harry heard something. Men were shouting up ahead. . . then came a deafening, earsplitting roar. . .**

"Oh know what now" groaned Molly

**Hagrid led Madame Maxime around a clump of trees and came to a halt. Harry hurried up alongside them - for a split second, he thought he was seeing bonfires, and men darting around them - and then his mouth fell open.**

**Dragons.**

As one the hall turned to Harry,

"Hagrid showed you the dragons," said Ernie in a tone sounded like he was trying hard to suppress an accusation

"Yes, but I told Cedric, so we all ended being on even footing" said Harry

Many people looked at him in disbelief

"What I did" said Harry growing annoyed "Never mind" he snapped "You'll read about it in the book"

Umbridge meanwhile was beside herself with joy "Ah ah so you admit you had help with the tournament"

Harry opened his mouth to argue but before he could Umbridge turned on Hagrid

"So you showed him the dragons when your were not supposed to" she shrieked looking far too happy

"I was only trying to help," said Hagrid looking crestfallen

Before Umbridge could say anything Dumbledore stood up and said

"I would like to remind everyone, that Madame Maxine had also been present and therefore Miss Delacour would also have known about the dragons"

Umbridge turned an ugly purple colour as Fleur nodded "It is true"

Many people who had been glaring at Harry now realised that all four champions had probably found out about the first task

**Four fully grown, enormous, vicious-looking dragons were rearing onto their hind legs inside an enclosure fenced with thick planks of wood, roaring and snorting - torrents of fire were shooting**

"See," said Harry "Compared to that Norbert was practically cute"

"That maybe mate, but my hand disagrees," said Ron grinning at Harry for the first time in a while who smiled back

**into the dark sky from their open, fanged mouths, fifty feet above the ground on their outstretched necks.**

"I see you what you mean" laughed Neville "Norbert really doesn't seem that bad"

More people chuckled whilst the teachers scowled at the reminder

**There was a silvery-blue one with long, pointed horns, snapping and snarling at the wizards on the ground; a smooth-scaled green one, which was writhing and stamping with all its might; a red one with an odd fringe of fine gold spikes around its face,**

"I will admit they do sound magnificent to look at" said Hermione

Both Charlie and Hagrid beamed at her

**which was shooting mushroom-shaped fire clouds into the air; and a gigantic black one, more lizard-hike than the others, which was nearest to them.**

Harry shuddered at the reminder of the Horntail

**At least thirty wizards, seven or eight to each dragon, were attempting to control them, pulling on the chains connected to heavy leather straps around their necks and legs.**

Most people looked fascinated

**Mesmerized, Harry looked up, high above him, and saw the eyes of the black dragon, with vertical pupils like a cat's, bulging with either fear or rage, he couldn't tell which. . . . It was making a horrible noise, a yowling, screeching scream. . . .**

Many of the younger muggle-borns looked shocked and surprised

**"Keep back there, Hagrid!" yelled a wizard near the fence, straining on the chain he was holding. "They can shoot fire at a range of twenty feet, you know! I've seen this Horntail do forty!"**

"FORTY" shrieked Molly

"Don't worry mum we had it under control?" said Charlie

That didn't calm his worried mother down

**"Is'n' it beautiful?" said Hagrid softly.**

"They do sound it" admitted Daphne

**"It's no good!" yelled another wizard. "Stunning Spells, on the count of three!"**

**Harry saw each of the dragon keepers pull out his wand.**

"You can stun a dragon" asked Colin Creevy

"Yes but it takes a lot of wizards" stated Charlie

**"Stupefy!" they shouted in unison, and the Stunning Spells shot into the darkness like fiery rockets, bursting in showers of stars on the dragons' scaly hides -**

"Wow" said a few people

**Harry watched the dragon nearest to them teeter dangerously on its back legs; its jaws stretched wide in a silent howl; its nostrils were suddenly devoid of flame, though still smoking - then, very slowly, it fell.**

Many people held their breaths

**Several tons of sinewy, scaly-black dragon hit the ground with a thud that Harry could have sworn made the trees behind him quake.**

"It might well have done" laughed Charlie

**The dragon keepers lowered their wands and walked forward to their fallen charges, each of which was the size of a small hill.**

"Are they really that big" asked Colin

"Yeah, although some get a lot bigger"

Harry winced at the thought of dealing with a dragon bigger that the Horntail

**They hurried to tighten the chains and fasten them securely to iron pegs, which they forced deep into the ground with their wands.**

Luna frowned

**"Wan' a closer look?" Hagrid asked Madame Maxime excitedly.**

A few people shook their heads

**The pair of them moved right up to the fence, and Harry followed. The wizard who had warned Hagrid not to come any closer turned, and Harry realized who it was: Charlie Weasley.**

Charlie beamed

His mother shot him a worrried look

**"All right, Hagrid?" he panted, coming over to talk. "They should be okay now - we put them out with a Sleeping Draft**

"Wow that must have had to be really strong" whispered Michael to another Ravenclaw who nodded

**on the way here, thought it might be better for them to wake up in the dark and the quiet - but, like you saw, they weren't happy, not happy at all -"**

"Can't imagine why" chuckled a few people

**"What breeds you got here, Charlie?" said Hagrid, gazing at the closest dragon, the black one, with something chose to reverence.**

McGonagall and a few other teachers shook their heads

**Its eyes were still just open. Harry could see a strip of gleaming yellow beneath its wrinkled black eyelid.**

Once again Harry winced at the reminder of the Horntail

**"This is a Hungarian Horntail," said Charlie. "There's a Common Welsh Green over there, the smaller one - a Swedish Short-Snout, that blue-gray - and a Chinese Fireball, that's the red. "**

Both Viktor and Fleur shuddered at the reminder

**Charlie looked around; Madame Maxime was strolling away around the edge of the enclosure, gazing at the stunned dragons.**

"You really shouldn't have brought her Hagrid" sighed McGonagall

Hagrid once again looked crestfallen, however Fleur turned to him

"I for one however am glad you did" she said "I think I would've fainted if I had not known"

Hagrid brightned and beamed at her

Umbridge was looking more and more like an ugly toad, trust the two half-breeds to break get along, the oaf had broken the rules again and once again no one was doing anything about it

**"I didn't know you were bringing her, Hagrid," Charlie said, frowning. "The champions aren't supposed to know what's coming - she's bound to tell her student, isn't she?"**

Fleur simply smiled at Hagrid reassuringly

**"Jus' thought she'd like ter see 'em," shrugged Hagrid, still gazing, enraptured, at the dragons.**

Harry, Ron and Hermione just shook their heads

**"Really romantic date, Hagrid," said Charlie, shaking his head.**

**"Four. . . " said Hagrid, "so it's one fer each o' the champions, is it? What've they gotta do - fight 'em?"**

"No, thank merlin" muttered Harry

"Who's idea was it to have dragons in the first place" asked Hermione

As one the ministry officials and Dumbledore turned to look at Fudge

"What" shouted McGonagall, Poppy and Molly

"This was your idea" hissed McGonagall

"I wanted something that would test them" began Fudge rather feebly

"Test..." growled McGonagall growing speechless with rage

"Enough please continue reading Miss Chang" said Dumbledore and Cho did so

**"Just get past them, I think," said Charlie. "We'll be on hand if it gets nasty, Extinguishing Spells at the ready. They wanted nesting mothers, I don't know why. . .**

Many of the adults shot Fudge angry looks who was desperately thinking of ways to save his career

**but I tell you this, I don't envy the one who gets the Horntail. Vicious thing. Its back end's as dangerous as its front, look. "**

"It is" confirmed Harry

Both Remus and Sirius exchanged worried looks, had Harry not told them something about his fight with the dragon

**Charlie pointed toward the Horntail's tail, and Harry saw long, bronze-colored spikes protruding along it every few inches.**

Many of the younger muggleborns winced, that didn't sound nice

**Five of Charlie's fellow keepers staggered up to the Horntail at that moment, carrying a clutch of huge granite-gray eggs between them in a blanket. They placed them carefully at the Horntail's side. Hagrid let out a moan of longing.**

"No Hagrid no more dragon eggs, understood" said McGonagall as though she were addressing a naughty first year

Hagrid nodded looking down, whilst quite a few students had to supress their giggles

**"I've got them counted, Hagrid," said Charlie sternly. Then he said, "How's Harry?"**

Charlie shook his head "You could've told me, I wouldn't of said anything"

Harry smiled gratefully at Charlie who smiled back

**"Fine," said Hagrid. He was still gazing at the eggs.**

Sprout leaned over and whispered to McGonagall "We need to start checking his cabin more often"

McGonagall just nodded

**"Just hope he's still fine after he's faced this lot," said Charlie grimly, looking out over the dragons' enclosure. "I didn't dare tell Mum what he's got to do for the first task; she's already having kittens about him. . . . "**

The look Molly Weasley's told everyone that was an understatement

**Charlie imitated his mother's anxious voice. "'How could they let him enter that tournament, he's much too young!**

Dumbledore and Fudge were both on the recieving end of the glares this time

**I thought they were all safe, I thought there was going to be an age limit!' She was in floods after that Daily Prophet article about him. 'He still cries about his parents! Oh bless him, I never knew!'"**

Harry turned bright red as Molly began to fuss

"It's okay" he mumbled "You didn't know"

**Harry had had enough. Trusting to the fact that Hagrid wouldn't miss him,**

Hagrid once again winced

**with the attractions of four dragons and Madame Maxime to occupy him, he turned silently and began to walk away, back to the castle.**

"Oh yes hurry" said Lavender "You can't miss Sirius"

"Don't worry I didn't" said Harry

**He didn't know whether he was glad he'd seen what was coming or not. Perhaps this way was better. The first shock was over now. Maybe if he'd seen the dragons for the first time on Tuesday, he would have passed out cold in front of the whole school. . .**

"Nah" said Fred

"Yeah" continued George "You have nerves of steel"

"You were never going to do anything but ace it" finished Fred

Harry grinned at them both

**but maybe he would anyway. . . . He was going to be armed with his wand - which, just now, felt like nothing more than a narrow strip of wood -**

"Yeah, I know how you felt" said Viktor

Fleur also nodded

**against a fifty-foot-high, scaly, spike-ridden, fire-breathing dragon. And he had to get past it. With everyone watching. How?**

"With a firebolt of course" said Fred in a duh tone

Many of the students laughed, whilst those who didn't know looked confused

**Harry sped up, skirting the edge of the forest; he had just under fifteen minutes to get back to the fireside and talk to Sirius,**

"It's a good thing you can run so fast" commented Neville

**and he couldn't remember, ever, wanting to talk to someone more than he did right now - when, without warning, he ran into something very solid.**

"Watch were your're going boy" barked Moody

Once again Harry felt angry with himself, that had been so foolish not to pay attention to his surroundings

McGonagall resisted shaking her head as she could feel a headache coming on

**Harry fell backward, his glasses askew, clutching the cloak around him. A voice nearby said, "Ouch! Who's there?"**

**Harry hastily checked that the cloak was covering him and hay very still, staring up at the dark outline of the wizard he had hit. He recognized the goatee. . . it was Karkaroff.**

"So you knew as well" asked Ernie

"Yes, as Harry said we all ended up knowing" said Krum

Dumbledore just sighed he supposed he should've seen that coming, whilst McGonagall shot him a look that said I told you so,

**"Who's there?" said Karkaroff again, very suspiciously, looking around in the darkness. Harry remained still and silent. After a minute or so, Karkaroff seemed to decide that he had hit some sort of animal;**

"Nah just a scrawny git" said George

Harry mock glared at them

**he was looking around at waist height, as though expecting to see a dog. Then he crept back under the cover of the trees and started to edge forward toward the place where the dragons were.**

"So much for fair play" said Ernie shaking his head

"It was never going to happen" chuckled Remus

**Very slowly and very carefully, Harry got to his feet and set off again as fast as he could without making too much noise, hurrying through the darkness back toward Hogwarts.**

"Living with the Dursleys, I've had lots of practice moving quickly" said Harry in a rather off-hand manner

Many scowled at the reminder of the muggles

**He had no doubt whatsoever what Karkaroff was up to. He had sneaked off his ship to try and find out what the first task was going to be.**

More and more people shook their heads, this tournament really was a joke from the beginning

**He might even have spotted Hagrid and Madame Maxime heading off around the forest together - they were hardly difficult to spot at a distance. . .**

A few people snorted in amusement

**and now all Karkaroff had to do was follow the sound of voices, and he, like Madame Maxime, would know what was in store for the champions.**

**By the looks of it, the only champion who would be facing the unknown on Tuesday was Cedric.**

Many of the Hufflepuffs turned to him and before they could say anything

"I already told you, I warned Cedric about the dragons" said Harry annoyed

Many looked sceptical

**Harry reached the castle, slipped in through the front doors, and began to climb the marble stairs; he was very out of breath, but he didn't dare slow down. . . . He had less than five minutes to get up to the fire. . . .**

Everybody looked at Harry

"Adrenaline is a wonderful thing" he commented and a couple of people chuckled

**"Balderdash!" he gasped at the Fat Lady, who was snoozing in her frame in front of the portrait hole.**

**"If you say so," she muttered sleepily, without opening her eyes,**

"She's probably used to you coming back after hours by now" said Neville

Harry chuckled

**and the picture swung forward to admit him. Harry climbed inside. The common room was deserted,**

"Oh thank goodness" said Daphne

**and, judging by the fact that it smelled quite normal, Hermione had not needed to set off any Dungbombs**

Everyone turned to look at her

"I didn't need to use any dungbombs" she confirmed

Filch scowled

**to ensure that he and Sirius got privacy.**

**Harry pulled off the Invisibility Cloak and threw himself into an armchair**

"To be honest I just needed to recover from the exercise" said Harry with humor

**in front of the fire. The room was in semidarkness; the flames were the only source of light. Nearby, on a table, the Support Cedric Diggory! badges the Creeveys had been trying to improve were glinting in the firelight. They now read POTTER REALLY STINKS.**

"Don't worry about it" said Harry unconcerned when he saw the brothers open their mouths

**Harry looked back into the flames, and jumped.**

"Oh what now" asked Molly worridly

**Sirius's head was sitting in the fire.**

"Ah hah" said Umbridge gleeful "So you were using the floo illegally"

"Sit down Dolores" hissed Fudge pulling her down, she was not helping him keep his job

Harry, Hermione and Ron just exchanged smirks

**If Harry hadn't seen Mr. Diggory do exactly this back in the Weasleys' kitchen, it would have scared him out of his wits.**

"Again, I don't believe that" said George

**Instead, his face breaking into the first smile he had worn for days, he scrambled out of his chair, crouched down by the hearth, and said, "Sirius - how're you doing?"**

"You really need to stop thinking about others, and start worrying about yourself more" said Remus

Harry just nodded, not sure what to say

**Sirius looked different from Harry's memory of him. When they had said good-bye, Sirius's face had been gaunt and sunken,**

Harry sent the minister a look mixed with anger and hatred

**surrounded by a quantity of long, black, matted hair - but the hair was short and clean now, Sirius's face was fuller, and he looked younger,**

"Funny what a few months in the south of Spain can do" said Sirius grinning

Remus and Harry both grinned as well

**much more like the only photograph Harry had of him, which had been taken at the Potters' wedding.**

Both Remus and Sirius felt pangs of sadness

**"Never mind me, how are you?" said Sirius seriously.**

**"I'm -" For a second, Harry tried to say "fine" - but he couldn't do it.**

"Wow that's a first" said Fred

"Yeah Harry Potter not fine" continued George

Harry just gave them a half-hearted glare

**Before he could stop himself, he was talking more than he'd talked in days -**

Hermione nodded, good it was about time he learned to open up

McGonagall, Molly and several others were thinking the same thing

**about how no one believed he hadn't entered the tournament of his own free will, how Rita Skeeter had lied about him in the Daily Prophet, how he couldn't walk down a corridor without being sneered at - and about Ron, Ron not believing him, Ron's jealousy. . .**

Sirius flashed an angry look at Ron who avoided his gaze

**". . . and now Hagrid's just shown me what's coming in the first task, and it's dragons, Sirius, and I'm a goner," he finished desperately.**

"Or not" said Fred grinning

Many of the other Gryffindors grinned as well

**Sirius looked at him, eyes full of concern, eyes that had not yet lost the look that Azkaban had given them - that deadened, haunted look**

Harry glared at the minister with contempt

**He had let Harry talk himself into silence without interruption, but now he said, "Dragons we can deal with, Harry, but we'll get to that in a minute - I haven't got long here. . . I've broken into a wizarding house to use the fire,**

"Ah ha" said Umbridge loudly causing many people jump as they had forgotten she was there

**but they could be back at any time. There are things I need to warn you about. "**

Uh oh thought the hall as one

**"What?" said Harry, feeling his spirits slip a further few notches. . . . Surely there could be nothing worse than dragons coming**

"I can't imagine anything worse either" said Daphne

**"Karkaroff," said Sirius. "Harry, he was a Death Eater. You know what Death Eaters are, don't you?"**

"What" asked a few people surprised

Sirius nodded grimly, "I fought against him a few times in the first war"

Many people looked shocked they had spent a year around a death eater

Harry looked at the shocked expressions, he wondered what their reaction would be to Crouch Jr 

**"Yes - he - what?"**

"I was surprised as well, when Harry told me" admitted Hermione

**"He was caught, he was in Azkaban with me, but he got released. I'd bet everything that's why Dumbledore wanted an Auror at Hogwarts this year - to keep an eye on him. Moody caught Karkaroff.**

"Really" squeaked a first-year Hufflepuff muggle-born

"Yeah, didn't come quietly either" growled Moody at the first-year

**Put him into Azkaban in the first place. "**

"Where he should've stayed" growled Moody glaring a Fudge

**"Karkaroff got released?" Harry said slowly - his brain seemed to be struggling to absorb yet another piece of shocking information. "Why did they release him?"**

**"He did a deal with the Ministry of Magic," said Sirius bitterly.**

More than a few turned to look a Fudge who once again looked rather guilty

**"He said he'd seen the error of his ways,**

"Where have we heard that before" growled Ron glaring at Malfoy

**and then he named names. . . he put a load of other people into Azkaban in his place. . . . He's not very popular in there,**

"I can imagine" said Seamus

**I can tell you. And since he got out, from what I can tell, he's been teaching the Dark Arts to every student who passes through that school of his.**

Krum nodded "He was very fixed on the dark arts"

Fudge just looked down at his bowler hat, how could he have been so blind

**So watch out for the Durmstrang champion as well. "**

"Sorry, I didn't mean it like that" said Sirius to Krum

"No worries, I understand why you said it" said Krum

**"Okay," said Harry slowly. "But. . . are you saying Karkaroff put my name in the goblet? Because if he did, he's a really good actor.**

"He didn't" said Harry loudly

More and more people were now trying to work out who it could've been

**He seemed furious about it. He wanted to stop me from competing. "**

"He did"

**"We know he's a good actor," said Sirius, "because he convinced the Ministry of Magic to set him free, didn't he?**

Quite a few people shot Fudge looks of disgust including Amelia Bones

**Now, I've been keeping an eye on the Daily Prophet, Harry -"**

**"- you and the rest of the world," said Harry bitterly.**

"I'm glad my Gran canceled her subscription" said Neville

More and more people looked like they would be doing the same thing

**"- and reading between the lines of that Skeeter woman's article last month,**

"Pity more people couldn't do that" said Harry loudly

Quite a few now shifted guiltily

**Moody was attacked the night before he started at Hogwarts. Yes, I know she says it was another false alarm,"**

"Turn's out it wasn't" said Harry and Moody just growled

Umbridge just sneered the crazy old man needed to be on the insane ward next to Potter

**Sirius said hastily, seeing Harry about to speak, "but I don't think so, somehow. I think someone tried to stop him from getting to Hogwarts.**

"And succeded, filthy death eating scum" shouted Moody

Quite a few people jumped, but many more looked fascinated

**I think someone knew their job would be a lot more difficult with him around. And no one's going to look into it too closely; Mad-Eye's heard intruders a bit too often.**

"Just because your paranoid, doesn't mean your wrong," said Harry

Moody nodded in approval

Umbridge's sneer grew even more

**But that doesn't mean he can't still spot the real thing. Moody was the best Auror the Ministry ever had. "**

"Too right" said Tonks

Quite a few of the other ministry officials nodded

**"So. . . what are you saying?" said Harry slowly. "Karkaroff's trying to kill me? But - why?"**

Sirius shook his head "I should've realised it wasn't him"

Everyone looked at him

"He was always a bit of a coward"

**Sirius hesitated.**

**"I've been nearing some very strange things," he said slowly. "The Death Eaters seem to be a bit more active than usual lately.**

Fudge had a growing feeling of dread in his stomach, he knew what was coming

He had to accept it, You-know-who was back

**They showed themselves at the Quidditch World Cup, didn't they? Someone set off the Dark Mark. . .**

Harry once again grimaced

**and then - did you hear about that Ministry of Magic witch who's gone missing?"**

**"Bertha Jorkins?" said Harry.**

"I'm sorry," said Harry turning to Amelia

"Thank you Mr Potter," she said "She will be missed"

**"Exactly. . . she disappeared in Albania, and that's definitely where Voldemort was rumored to be last. . .**

"Why Albania," asked a first-year muggle-born

"It was one of the few places where his name wasn't well known," said Dumbledore simply

**and she would have known the Triwizard Tournament was coming up, wouldn't she?"**

"She did" grimaced Amelia

**"Yeah, but. . . it's not very likely she'd have walked straight into Voldemort, is it?" said Harry.**

Amelia sighed "As much as I hate to admit, yes she could've done"

**"Listen, I knew Bertha Jorkins," said Sirius grimly. "She was at Hogwarts when I was, a few years above your dad and me. And she was an idiot. Very nosy, but no brains, none at all.**

"Sadly that was true" Amelia sighed once again

**It's not a good combination, Harry. I'd say she'd be very easy to lure into a trap. "**

The ministry officials were starting, slowly to put the pieces together, however, they all felt as though they were missing a few things

**"So. . . so Voldemort could have found out about the tournament?" said Harry. "Is that what you mean? You think Karkaroff might be here on his orders?"**

Sirius shook his head once again

Harry looked at him "Hey, you didn't know" he said

Sirius smiled at him slightly

**"I don't know," said Sirius slowly, "I just don't know. . . Karkaroff doesn't strike me as the type who'd go back to Voldemort unless he knew Voldemort was powerful enough to protect him.**

"Even then he wouldn't go back," said Sirius

At the looks, people gave him "He wouldn't be welcome, he betrayed to many people"

Quite a few shuddered at that, that was not a good thing

**But whoever put your name in that goblet did it for a reason, and I can't help thinking the tournament would be a very good way to attack you and make it look like an accident. "**

"Yeah that would be a good plan," said Michael Corner

**"Looks hike a really good plan from where I'm standing," said Harry grinning bleaky. "They'll just have to stand back and let the dragons do their stuff. "**

"Or not" said George grinning

"Harry Potter beats a dragon with a broomstick" said Fred also beaming

Oliver was looking more and more curious, with each mention of the firebolt, 

**"Right - these dragons," said Sirius, speaking very quickly now. "There's a way, Harry. Don't be tempted to try a Stunning Spell - dragons are strong and too powerfully magical to be knocked out by a single Stunner,**

"Yeah we heard" said Neville

**you need about half a dozen wizards at a time to overcome a dragon -"**

**"Yeah, I know, I just saw," said Harry.**

Neville and Harry exchanged

**"But you can do it alone," said Sirius. "There is away, and a simple spell's all you need. Just -"**

Those who weren't there frowned as they tried to work out what that simple spell could be

**But Harry held up a hand to silence him, his heart suddenly pounding as though it would burst. He could hear footsteps coming down the spiral staircase behind him.**

"Uh oh" said Parvati

**"Go!" he hissed at Sirius. " Go! There's someone coming!"**

"Oh you must not be seen" said Lavender

**Harry scrambled to his feet, hiding the fire - if someone saw Sirius's face within the walls of Hogwarts, they would raise an almighty uproar**

"That would be an understatement" said McGonagall

**\- the Ministry would get dragged in - he, Harry, would be questioned about Sirius's whereabouts -**

"More likely the ministry would think you had been confunded" said McGonagall

Harry grimaced

**Harry heard a tiny pop! in the fire behind him and knew Sirius had gone.**

"Phew" said Daphne

**He watched the bottom of the spiral staircase. Who had decided to go for a stroll at one o'clock in the morning,**

Ron began to turn red

**and stopped Sirius from telling him how to get past a dragon?**

Ron now began to feel guilty as hell again

**It was Ron. Dressed in his maroon paisley pajamas, Ron stopped dead facing Harry across the room, and looked around.**

**"Who were you talking to?" he said.**

People turned to look at Ron who was beginning to look at the table again with guilt

**"What's that got to do with you?" Harry snarled. "What are you doing down here at this time of night?"**

"Why did you come down" asked Hermione

"I noticed Harry wasn't in bed, so I came to see if you two were downstairs" muttered Ron at the table

**"I just wondered where you -" Ron broke off, shrugging. "Nothing. I'm going back to bed. "**

**"Just thought you'd come nosing around, did you?" Harry shouted. He knew that Ron had no idea what he'd walked in on,**

Harry opened his mouth to apologise when Ron cut him off

"Nah, I'm the one that should apologise, I should've realised that you were talking to Sirius"

Harry nodded

**knew he hadn't done it on purpose, but he didn't care - at t** **his moment he hated everything about Ron,**

Fred and George looked quite serious they didn't realise things had been that bad between them

**right down to the several inches of bare ankle showing beneath his pajama trousers.**

Quite a few people were surprised they had always thought the golden trio were insperable

**"Sorry about that," said Ron, his face reddening with anger. "Should've realized you didn't want to be disturbed. I'll let you get on with practicing for your next interview in peace. "**

"Ronald" said Molly sharply

"Not now dear" said Arthur before turning to Ron "We will be talking about this later young man"

Ron just nodded

**Harry seized one of the POTTER REALLY STINKS badges off the table and chucked it, as hard as he could, across the room. It hit Ron on the forehead and bounced off.**

"We will also be talking" said Arthur sternly to Harry

Harry also nodded

**"There you go," Harry said. "Something for you to wear on Tuesday. You might even have a scar now, if yon're lucky. . . . That's what you want, isn't it?"**

Ron just shook his head, he felt so stupid now

**He strode across the room toward the stairs; he half expected Ron to stop him, he would even have liked Ron to throw a punch at him,**

"I deserved that" commented Ron

**but Ron just stood there in his too-small pajamas, and Harry, having stormed upstairs, lay awake in bed fuming for a long time afterward and didn't hear him come up to bed.**

"That's the end" said Cho

There was silence, before...

"I'll read next" said Luna taking the book and opening it to the correct chapter


	25. The First Task

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So to make up for the delay in the other two chapters, I'm going to post some extra ones as well

Chapter **20 The First Task**

read Luna in her dreamy voice

Those who hadn't been now looked very excited

**Harry got up on Sunday morning and dressed so inattentively that it was a while before he realized he was trying to pull his hat onto his foot instead of his sock.**

Despite the situation, the twins did snigger a little bid

**When he'd finally got all his clothes on the right parts of his body,**

"That took a while" he confessed

**he hurried off to find Hermione, locating her at the Gryffindor table in the Great Hall, where she was eating breakfast with Ginny.**

"Not with Ron," asked Sirius curiously

Hermione sighed "I was also quite angry with Ron" she admitted

Ron once again felt like a bag of dirt

**Feeling too queasy to eat,**

Harry avoided the glare of Madam Pomfrey

**Harry waited until Hermione had swallowed her last spoonful of porridge, then dragged her out onto the grounds.**

"Does that happen a lot?" asked Neville

"Sometimes," said Hermione good-naturedly

**There, he told her all about the dragons,**

"I still can't believe people thought that was a good idea" scowled Hermione

Fudge once again shifted guiltily

**and about everything Sirius had said, while they took another long walk around the lake**

"We took a lot of walks around the lake that year" commented Harry

"And swims in the lake" grinned, George

Quite a few people chuckled at that except for the champions who winced slightly

**Alarmed as she was by Sirius's warnings about Karkaroff, Hermione still thought that the dragons were the more pressing problem.**

Most of the hall agreed with that

**"Let's just try and keep you alive until Tuesday evening," she said desperately, "and then we can worry about Karkaroff. "**

Sirius and Remus winced, could Harry not go one year without his life being in danger

**They walked three times around the lake, trying all the way to think of a simple spell that would subdue a dragon.**

People looked at Sirius "I was thinking more along the lines of an illusionment charm" he said

**Nothing whatsoever occurred to them, so they retired to the library instead. Here, Harry pulled down every book he could find on dragons,**

"Why are there so many books on dragons," asked Harry curiously

"We used teach dragon care at Hogwarts" replied McGonagall

"Really," said 3/4 of the student body at once

"Yes," said Dumbledore "But it was discontinued about 50 years ago, due to how dangerous it was"

Many students looked vaguely disappointed at that

**and both of them set to work searching through the large pile.**

George and Fred shook their heads,

"What dull way to spend a Sunday" yawned George

**"Talon-clipping by charms. . . treating scale-rot. . . ' This is no good, this is for nutters like Hagrid who want to keep them healthy. . . "**

A few people chuckled at that including Hagrid

**"Dragons are extremely difficult to slay, owing to the ancient magic that imbues their thick hides, which none but the most powerful spells can penetrate. . . '**

Quite a lot of the muggle-borns looked very interested to be learning about dragons

**But Sirius said a simple one would do it. . . "**

"I think your way was better" chuckled Sirius

Those who hadn't been there looked curious as to what Harry had done

**"Let's try some simple spellbooks, then," said Harry, throwing aside Men Who Love Dragons Too Much.**

A few people looked at Hagrid chuckling

**He returned to the table with a pile of spellbooks, set them down, and began to flick through each in turn, Hermione whispering nonstop at his elbow.**

Hermione turned red, she could see now how that wouldn't be helpful

**"Well, there are Switching Spells. . . but what's the point of Switching it? Unless you swapped its fangs for wine-gums**

A few people snorted

**or something that would make it less dangerous. . . . The trouble is, like that book said, not much is going to get through a dragon's hide. . . . I'd say Transfigure it,**

Quite a few people raised their eyebrows at that

"Into what," asked George

Hermione blushed furiously

**but something that big, you really haven't got a hope, I doubt even Professor McGonagall. . .**

McGonagall chuckled "I could possibly do it, but I would need help" she admitted

Many people looked at her in awe

**unless you're supposed to put the spell on yourself?**

"It was what I had in mind," said Sirius

**Maybe to give yourself extra powers? But they're not simple spells, I mean, we haven't done any of those in class, I only know about them because I've been doing O. W. L. practice papers. . . . "**

"You were doing OWL practice papers," asked Seamus looking at her surprised

Hermione nodded blushing slightly

"It's a very good thing to do," said McGonagall sternly "Something the rest of you might want to consider doing"

3/4 of the OWL students looked appalled at the idea

**"Hermione," Harry said, through gritted teeth, "will you shut up for a bit, please? I m trying to concentrate. "**

"Sorry about that" muttered Hermione

Harry sighed

**But all that happened, when Hermione fell silent, was that Harry's brain filled with a sort of blank buzzing, which didn't seem to allow room for concentration.**

Many of the teachers looked at each other, they really should have offered counselling of some sort

**He stared hopelessly down the index of Basic Hexes for the Busy and Vexed. Instant scalping. . . but dragons had no hair. . . pepper breath. . . that would probably increase a dragon's firepower**

"Which would not be needed" grinned, George

**. . . horn tongue. . . just what he needed, to give it an extra weapon. . .**

Once again people laughed except for Harry, Krum and Fleur

**"Oh no, he's back again, why can't he read on his stupid ship?" said Hermione irritably as Viktor Krum**

Krum smiled at Hermione apologetically

Hermione smiled back at him causing Ron to look like a venomous tiger

**slouched in, cast a surly look over at the pair of them, and settled himself in a distant corner with a pile of books**

"I was also there to study," said Viktor

Hermione beamed at him

**"Come on, Harry, we'll go back to the common room. . . his fan club will be here in a moment, twittering away. . . . "**

The girls in question glared jealously at Hermione as Krum smiled at her

**And sure enough, as they left the library, a gang of girls tiptoed past them, one of them wearing a Bulgaria scarf tied around her waist.**

Said girl blushed furiously as her classmates giggled

**Harry barely slept that night. When he awoke on Monday morning, he seriously considered for the first time ever just running away from Hogwarts.**

People looked at him

"Really you felt that bad" asked Neville

Harry just nodded

Many people just couldn't believe that Harry would ever get nerves that badly

**But as he looked around the Great Hall at breakfast time, and thought about what leaving the castle would mean, he knew he couldn't do it. It was the only place he had ever been happy. . .**

Many people suddenly felt quite sad that school was the happiest place Harry had ever been

**well, he supposed he must have been happy with his parents too, but he couldn't remember that.**

Harry glared at the table trying to ignore the sad and pitying looks that people were sending him

**Somehow, the knowledge that he would rather be here and facing a dragon than back on Privet Drive with Dudley was good to know;**

Growls could be heard at the mention of the Dursleys

Whilst other people looked at him sadly, no one should be happier at school that at home, 

**it made him feel slightly calmer. He finished his bacon with difficulty (his throat wasn't working too well),**

Madame Pomfrey frowned she really needed to get him in for an examination

**and as he and Hermione got up, he saw Cedric Diggory leaving the Hufflepuff table.**

Many of the Hufflepuffs stopped smiling at the mention of Cedric

**Cedric still didn't know about the dragons. . . the only champion who didn't, if Harry was right in thinking that Maxime and Karkaroff would have told Fleur and Krum. . . .**

Both of the mentioned champions nodded, they had known

**"Hermione, I'll see you in the greenhouses," Harry said, coming to his decision as he watched Cedric leaving the Hall. "Go on, I'll catch you up. "**

Those that hadn't believed that Harry had told Cedric looked at him

**"Harry, you'll be late, the bell's about to ring -"**

A few people raised their eyebrows

**"I'll catch you up, okay?"**

Many of the Slytherins were looking at him in disbelief

**By the time Harry reached the bottom of the marble staircase, Cedric was at the top. He was with a load of sixth-year friends.**

A few of the Hufflepuffs who had been there begun to put two and two together

**Harry didn't want to talk to Cedric in front of them; they were among those who had been quoting Rita Skeeter's article at him**

Those same Hufflepuffs rather ashamed of themselves now

**every time he went near them. He followed Cedric at a distance and saw that he was heading toward the Charms corridor. This gave Harry an idea.**

Uh oh thought a few individuals

**Pausing at a distance from them, he pulled out his wand and took careful aim.**

**"Diffindo!"**

"Not bad Potter," said Moody

**Cedric's bag split. Parchment, quills, and books spilled out of it onto the floor. Several bottles of ink smashed.**

A few of the hufflepuffs looked Harry with looks of growing disbelief

**"Don't bother," said Cedric in an exasperated voice as his friends bent down to help him. "Tell Flitwick I'm coming, go on. . . "**

Flitwick smiled sadly, Cedric had been a good student

**This was exactly what Harry had been hoping for. He slipped his wand back into his robes, waited until Cedric's friends had disappeared into their classroom, and hurried up the corridor, which was now empty of everyone but himself and Cedric.**

A few of slytherins were beginning to grudingly think that Potter would have indeed made a good Slytherin

**"Hi," said Cedric, picking up a copy of A Guide to Advanced Transfiguration that was now splattered with ink. "My bag just split. . . brand-new and all. . . "**

Both Fred and George longed to make a joke but restrained themselves

**"Cedric," said Harry, "the first task is dragons. "**

"You really told him," asked Zacharias disbelievingly

"Why is everyone so surprised," said Harry crossly

Many of the Hufflepuffs once again looked quite embarrassed for not having believed Harry

**"What?" said Cedric, looking up.**

"Thank you," said, Sprout

Harry just nodded

**"Dragons," said Harry, speaking quickly, in case Professor Flitwick came out to see where Cedric had got to. "They've got four, one for each of us, and we've got to get past them. "**

"Oh only get past them" said Fred

"Yep nothing too hard" finished George

Quite a few people glared at them for that

**Cedric stared at him. Harry saw some of the panic he'd been feeling since Saturday night flickering in Cedric's grey eyes.**

Hufflepuffs couldn't help but feel grateful towards Harry now

Many others were once again feeling bad that they hadn't believed Harry

Daphne looked at Harry admiringly he really was a good person

**"Are you sure?" Cedric said in a hushed voice.**

**"Dead sure," said Harry. "I've seen them. "**

"Really glad I did" stated Harry

Umbridge was furious that she couldn't either Potter or Hagrid in trouble for cheating

**"But how did you find out? We're not supposed to know. . . . "**

McGonagall and Sprout through grateful smiles at Hagrid as did Sirius and Remus

Hagrid smiled back at them

Umbridge just sneered

**"Never mind," said Harry quickly - he knew Hagrid would be in trouble if he told the truth. "But I'm not the only one who knows. Fleur and Krum will know by now - Maxime and Karkaroff both saw the dragons too. "**

"We did" confirmed the two champions yet again

Dumbledore sighed, he really had hoped that this tournament would be fair

McGonagall shot him a stern glance knowing what he was thinking

**Cedric straightened up, his arms full of inky quills, parchment, and books, his ripped bag dangling off one shoulder. He stared at Harry, and there was a puzzled, almost suspicious look in his eyes.**

"I don't blame him" muttered a Hufflepuff

**"Why are you telling me?" he asked.**

People turned to Harry interested to know

Harry just sighed "It was the right thing to do," he said simply

**Harry looked at him in disbelief. He was sure Cedric wouldn't have asked that if he had seen the dragons himself. Harry wouldn't have let his worst enemy face those monsters unprepared - well, perhaps Malfoy or Snape. . . .**

Mentioned two just sneered

Although Snape was quietly impressed that Harry would do such a thing

**"It's just. . . fair, isn't it?" he said to Cedric. "We all know now. . . we're on an even footing, aren't we?"**

Snape just shook his head, noble idiot

**Cedric was still looking at him in a slightly suspicious way when Harry heard a familiar clunking noise behind him.**

**He turned around and saw Mad-Eye Moody emerging from a nearby classroom.**

Moody narrowed his eyes,

**"Come with me, Potter," he growled. "Diggory, off you go. "**

Quite a few people raised their eyebrows in interest

**Harry stared apprehensively at Moody. Had he overheard them?**

_Probably_ thought Moody bitterly

**"Er - Professor, I'm supposed to be in Herbology -"**

Sprout raised her eyebrow, so this was why he was late

**"Never mind that, Potter. In my office, please. . . "**

Umbridge smiled, hopefully, this would show Potter cheating again

**Harry followed him, wondering what was going to happen to him now. What if Moody wanted to know how he'd found out about the dragons?**

Harry shook his head in disgust

**Would Moody go to Dumbledore and tell on Hagrid, or just turn Harry into a ferret?**

Many people laughed whilst Draco tinged pink

Narcissa frowned at the memory for more than one reason

**Well, it might be easier to get past a dragon if he were a ferret, Harry thought dully, he'd be smaller, much less easy to see from a height of fifty feet. . . .**

Many people snickered

**He followed Moody into his office. Moody closed the door behind them and turned to look at Harry, his magical eye fixed upon him as well as the normal one.**

"Creepy" muttered Lavender to Parvati who nodded

**"That was a very decent thing you just did, Potter," Moody said quietly.**

"It really was," said Daphne softly and Harry smiled at her

Ginny and Cho both gave her dirty looks

**Harry didn't know what to say; this wasn't the reaction he had expected at all.**

"I was fully expecting detention or something" admitted Harry

**"Sit down," said Moody, and Harry sat, looking around.**

"Good" barked Moody "Always observe your surroundings"

**He had visited this office under two of its previous occupants. In Professor Lockhart's day, the walls had been plastered with beaming, winking pictures of Professor Lockhart himself.**

Many of the boys shuddered at the memory

**When Lupin had lived here, you were more likely to come across a specimen of some fascinating new Dark creature he had procured for them to study in class.**

That elicited a cheer from 3/4 of the hall

"Best teacher ever" said George loudly

Umbridge just sneered

**Now, however, the office was full of a number of exceptionally odd objects that Harry supposed Moody had used in the days when he had been an Auror.**

Moody just grunted, irritated that the death eater scum had impersonated him so well

**On his desk stood what looked like a large, cracked, glass spinning top; Harry recognized it at once as a Sneakoscope, because he owned one himself,**

"They are actually quite useful," said Lupin

The Aurors all nodded slightly,

**though it was much smaller than Moody's. In the corner on a small table stood an object that looked something like an extra-squiggly, golden television aerial.**

Quite a few muggle-borns and some half-bloods raised their eyebrows

**It was humming slightly. What appeared to be a mirror hung opposite Harry on the wall, but it was not reflecting the room. Shadowy figures were moving around inside it,**

"Dark detector" murmured Tonks

Moody looked at her approvingly

**none of them clearly in focus.**

**"Like my Dark Detectors, do you?" said Moody, who was watching Harry closely.**

Harry wondered vaguely if he should look at getting one

**"What's that?" Harry asked, pointing at the squiggly golden aerial.**

Many of the muggle-borns leaned forward in interest

**"Secrecy Sensor. Vibrates when it detects concealment and lies. . . no use here, of course, too much interference - students in every direction lying about why they haven't done their homework.**

George, Fred and Lee suddenly burst out laughing

Everyone turned to look at them,

"Well" began George

"We may at some point" continued Fred

"Have accidentally said, that our homework?" said George

"Had been stolen by death eaters" they finished in unison

McGonagall and Molly shook their heads in despair whilst Umbridge sneered

The rest of the hall burst out laughing and a few of the adults looked like they were trying hard not to smile

**Been humming ever since I got here. I had to disable my Sneakoscope because it wouldn't stop whistling. It's extra-sensitive, picks up stuff about a mile around. Of course, it could be picking up more than kid stuff,"**

Harry growled _Oh it was_ he thought

**he added in a growl.**

**"And what's the mirror for?"**

Many of the muggle-borns were looking absolutely fascinated

**"Oh that's my Foe-Glass. See them out there, skulking around? I'm not really in trouble until I see the whites of their eyes. That's when I open my trunk. "**

Moody growled at the mention of the trunk, causing several people to look at him curiously

**He let out a short, harsh laugh, and pointed to the large trunk under the window. It had seven keyholes in a row. Harry wondered what was in there,**

Once again Moody growled

**until Moody's next question brought him sharply back to earth.**

**"So. . . found out about the dragons, have you?"**

"How did you know" asked a timid first-year

Harry answered for Moody "You'll find out soon enough" he sighed

**Harry hesitated. He'd been afraid of this - but he hadn't told Cedric, and he certainly wasn't going to tell Moody, that Hagrid had broken the rules.**

Once Daphne, Ginny and Cho all looked at him admiringly, he really was so sweet

**"It's all right," said Moody, sitting down and stretching out his wooden leg with a groan. "Cheating's a traditional part of the Triwizard Tournament and always has been. "**

"Wizards always cheat" commented Arthur casually

Many of the older wizards nodded, it was simply a part of wizard culture

**"I didn't cheat," said Harry sharply. "It was - a sort of accident that I found out. "**

"I never did say thanks properly," said Harry to Hagrid, noticing Umbridge's glare

"No worries Harry," said Hagrid waving it off

Umbridge looked like she had swallowed a lemon

**Moody grinned. "I wasn't accusing you, laddie. I've been telling Dumbledore from the start, he can be as high-minded as he likes, but you can bet old Karkaroff and Maxime won't be.**

Dumbledore simply sighed, it had been rather naive of him to expect fair play with hindsight

**They'll have told their champions everything they can. They want to win. They want to beat Dumbledore. They'd like to prove he's only human. "**

Dumbledore once again sighed, sadly he was all too human

**Moody gave another harsh laugh, and his magical eye swivelled around so fast it made Harry feel queasy to watch it.**

Lavender and Parvati looked liked they agreed wholeheartedly with that

**"So. . . got any ideas how you're going to get past your dragon yet?" said Moody.**

**"No," said Harry.**

"With the best way possible" roared Lee Jordan

"Jordan sit down" barked McGonagall as the rest of the Gryffindors erupted in a cheer

**"Well, I'm not going to tell you," said Moody gruffly. "I don't show favouritism, me. I'm just going to give you some good, general advice. And the first bit is - play to your strengths. "**

"Good advice" nodded a few people

**"I haven't got any," said Harry, before he could stop himself.**

3/4 of the student body turned to look at him

"What," said Harry feeling a tad uncomfortable

"Mate, you have loads of strengths," said Neville slowly

Harry didn't have an answer for that

"You're brave, courageous and selfless" said Hermione bluntly

There were murmurs of agreement all over the hall

"You have lots strengths, mate" said Ron seriously "More than most"

The murmurs continued as Harry turned red

After a moment Luna continued to read

**"Excuse me," growled Moody, "you've got strengths if I say you've got them. Think now. What are you best at?"**

"Defence," said Hermione straight away, this caused Umbridge to sneer

"Being a friend?" said Neville grinning

"Best seeker ever" yelled Woody grinning

Many of the students continued to nod in agreement

Harry blushed an even deeper shade of red,

**Harry tried to concentrate. What was he best at? Well, that was easy, really -**

**"Quidditch," he said dully, "and a fat lot of help -"**

"Best ever" said Woody even louder this time

"Unfortunately" muttered the other teams

**"That's right," said Moody, staring at him very hard, his magical eye barely moving at all. "You're a damn good flier from what I've heard. "**

"Too right" roared the Weasley twins

This caused people around them to jump

**"Yeah, but. . . " Harry stared at him. "I'm not allowed a broom, I've only got my wand. . . "**

"Ah" said a Ravenclaw catching on

**"My second piece of general advice," said Moody loudly, interrupting him, "is to use a nice, simple spell that will enable you to get what you need. "**

**Harry looked at him blankly. What did he need?**

Harry shook his head, he couldn't believe it had taken him this long to get the answer

**"Come on, boy. . . " whispered Moody. "Put them together. . . it's not that difficult. . . "**

Harry grimaced, it really hadn't been, he really needed to start being able to reach these conclusions by himself

**And it clicked. He was best at flying. He needed to pass the dragon in the air. For that, he needed his Firebolt. And for his Fire-bolt, he needed -**

**"Hermione," Harry whispered,**

"I never did thank you properly for that" said Harry

"No worries" smiled Hermione

**when he had sped into greenhouse three minutes later, uttering a hurried apology to Professor Sprout as he passed her. "Hermione - I need you to help me. "**

"You realise you don't have to ask" smiled Hermione

Harry smiled warmly back at her

**"What d'you think I've been trying to do, Harry?" she whispered back, her eyes round with anxiety over the top of the quivering Flutterby Bush she was pruning.**

"I can't believe I didn't think of it either," said Hermione shaking her head, it was so simple with hindsight

**"Hermione, I need to learn how to do a Summoning Charm properly by tomorrow afternoon. "**

"That will be hard to do" said Amelia

Harry and Hermione exchanged smirks

Once again Ron feeling rather bad, he should've been there to help Harry

**And so they practised. They didn't have lunch,**

Pomfrey tutted and glared at both teens

**but headed for a free classroom, where Harry tried with all his might to make various objects fly across the room toward him.**

"You really do, learn well under pressure" commented Tonks

Harry just shrugged, although many of the adults were looking at him thoughtfully

**He was still having problems. The books and quills kept losing heart halfway across the room and dropping hike stones to the floor.**

Flitwick nodded "It can be a tricky spell to learn"

**"Concentrate, Harry, concentrate. . . . "**

**"What d'you think I'm trying to do?" said Harry angrily. "A great big dragon keeps popping up in my head for some reason. . . Okay, try again. . . "**

Flitwick nodded again, repetition was usually the only way to learn these things, then something occurred to him

"You used the spell during the first task" he asked Harry

Harry nodded in confirmation

"So you managed to master a spell in 24 hours"

"I guess" replied Harry shrugging

Quite a lot of people were now looking at him in awe

**He wanted to skip Divination to keep practising,**

Trelawney scowled

**but Hermione refused point-blank to skive off Arithmancy,**

Professor Vector beamed at her best student, who blushed

**and there was no point in staying without her.**

"I knew wouldn't be able to manage it without her" said Harry bluntly

Hermione blushed further

**He therefore had to endure over an hour of Professor Trelawney,**

Fred and George patted him on the back in sympathy

**who spent half the lesson telling everyone that the position of Mars with relation to Saturn at that moment meant that people born in July were in great danger of sudden, violent deaths.**

Half the hall snorted at that

**"Well, that's good," said Harry loudly, his temper getting the better of him, "just as long as it's not drawn-out. I don't want to suffer. "**

The other half now snorted as well

**Ron looked for a moment as though he was going to laugh; he certainly caught Harry's eye for the first time in days,**

Molly and Arthur looked up hopefully

**but Harry was still feeling too resentful toward Ron to care.**

Many of the adults just sighed

**He spent the rest of the lesson trying to attract small objects toward him under the table with his wand. He managed to make a fly zoom straight into his hand, though he wasn't entirely sure that was his prowess at Summoning Charms - perhaps the fly was just stupid.**

"As opposed to the many intelligent flies out there" laughed Seamus

**He forced down some dinner after Divination,**

_Good_ thought Pomfrey, McGonagall and Molly

**then returned to the empty classroom with Hermione, using the Invisibility Cloak to avoid the teachers.**

McGonagall frowned "I wish you would've said something earlier"

The two teens looked at her

"I would've let you use my classroom from the start"

Harry and Hermione looked at each "We didn't think about that" they admitted

McGonagall just pursed her lips

**They kept practising until past midnight.**

Molly and Pomfrey frowned, that was far too late for two growing wizards

**They would have stayed longer, but Peeves turned up and, pretending to think that Harry** **wanted things thrown at him, started chucking chairs across the room. Harry and Hermione left in a hurry before the noise attracted Filch,**

Filch scowled

**and went back to the Gryffindor common room, which was now mercifully empty.**

**At two o'clock in the morning,**

Molly and Pomfrey shot both teens worried looks

**Harry stood near the fireplace, surrounded by heaps of objects: books, quills, several upturned chairs, an old set of Gobstones, and Neville's toad, Trevor.**

Harry turned to apologise but Neville held his hand up

"No worries mate, glad he could be of use"

**Only in the last hour had Harry really got the hang of the Summoning Charm.**

Several of the Aurors raised their eyebrows

**"That's better, Harry, that's loads better," Hermione said, looking exhausted but very pleased.**

"Oh I was," said Hermione "More pleased than tired" she added as an afterthought

**"Well, now we know what to do next time I can't manage a spell," Harry said, throwing a rune dictionary back to Hermione, so he could try again, "threaten me with a dragon.**

"So that's all you need to learn a spell" asked George grinning

"A dragon and 24hrs of pressure" finished Fred also grinning

Harry just shrugged good-naturedly

**Right. . . " He raised his wand once more. "Accio Dictionary!"**

"Ooh a dictionary what great protection" said George still grinning

**The heavy book soared out of Hermione's hand, flew across the room, and Harry caught it.**

The Aurors and teachers were thoroughly impressed

Even Umbridge looked impressed against her will

**"Harry, I really think you've got it!" said Hermione delightedly.**

**"Just as long as it works tomorrow," Harry said. "The Firebolt's going to be much farther away than the stuff in here,**

"It's doesn't matter, as long as you visualise clearly" squeaked Flitwick

**it's going to be in the castle, and I'm going to be out there on the grounds. . . "**

**"That doesn't matter," said Hermione firmly. " Just as long as you're concentrating really, really hard on it, it'll come. Harry, we'd better get some sleep. . . you're going to need it. "**

"You should've been in bed much sooner" said Pomfrey pursing her lips

Both teens just shrugged

**Harry had been focusing so hard on learning the Summoning Charm that evening that some of his blind panic had left him.**

The aurors once again exchanged looks

**It returned in full measure, however, on the following morning.**

"Not surprising" said Remus

**The atmosphere in the school was one of great tension and excitement.**

Harry sighed, just one year he would like to be normal

**Lessons were to stop at midday, giving all the students time to get down to the dragons' enclosure - though of course, they didn't yet know what they would find there.**

"Did any of you guess correctly" asked Harry curiously

As one the student body shook their heads

**Harry felt oddly separate from everyone around him, whether they were wishing him good luck or hissing "We'll have a box of tissues ready, Potter" as he passed.**

Daphne sent a dark look over to Pansy and Malfoy

**It was a state of nervousness so advanced that he wondered whether he mightn't just lose his head when they tried to lead him out to his dragon, and start trying to curse everyone in sight.**

"Nah," said Fred casually "You would never actually lose your nerve"

**Time was behaving in a more peculiar fashion than ever, rushing past in great dollops, so that one moment he seemed to be sitting down in his first lesson, History of Magic, and the next, walking into lunch.** **. .**

"I know what you mean" said Fleur "It was like that for me as well"

"And me" said Viktor

**and then (where had the morning gone? the last of the dragon-free hours?), Professor McGonagall was hurrying over to him in the Great Hall. Lots of people were watching.**

"Naturally" muttered Harry bitterly

**"Potter, the champions have to come down onto the grounds now. . . . You have to get ready for your first task. "**

"Yay" Harry once again muttered

**"Okay," said Harry, standing up, his fork falling onto his plate with a clatter.**

**"Good luck, Harry," Hermione whispered. "You'll be fine!"**

McGonagall shook her head, what a stupid thing to say

**"Yeah," said Harry in a voice that was most unlike his own.**

"I was ready to pass out," said Harry simply

**He left the Great Hall with Professor McGonagall. She didn't seem herself either; in fact, she looked nearly as anxious as Hermione.**

McGonagall thought back, she was furious mainly with Dumbledore for allowing Harry to compete.

**As she walked him down the stone steps and out into the cold November afternoon, she put her hand on his shoulder.**

That had been mainly to steady herself, she thought without humour

**"Now, don't panic," she said, "just keep a cool head. . . . We've got wizards standing by to control the situation if it gets out of hand. . . .**

McGonagall mentally chastised herself, again what stupid things to say

**The main thing is just to do your best, and nobody will think any the worse of you. . . . Are you all right?"**

**"Yes," Harry heard himself say. "Yes, I'm fine. "**

_I wasn't_ thought Harry

**She was leading him toward the place where the dragons were, around the edge of the forest, but when they approached the clump of trees behind which the enclosure would be clearly visible, Harry saw that a tent had been erected, its entrance facing them, screening the dragons from view.**

"We didn't what you were facing until you guys were supposed to" said Neville

**"You're to go in here with the other champions," said Professor McGonagall, in a rather shaky sort of voice, "and wait for your turn, Potter. Mr. Bagman is in there. . . he'll be telling you the - the procedure. . . . Good luck. "**

_Stupid, stupid_ thought McGonagall

**"Thanks," said Harry, in a flat, distant voice. She left him at the entrance of the tent. Harry went inside.**

"I thought I might be sick," said Harry casually

**Fleur Delacour was sitting in a corner on a wooden stool. She didn't look nearly as composed as usual, but rather pale and clammy.**

"I also thought I might be sick" admitted the 1/4 veela

**Viktor Krum looked even surlier than usual,**

"And me" said Krum smiling slightly

Many people looked in awe at him, to which he pointed out "I'm still human"

**which Harry supposed was his way of showing nerves. Cedric was pacing up and down. When Harry entered, Cedric gave him a small smile,**

Harry looked down sadly, he really hadn't deserved to die

**which Harry returned, feeling the muscles in his face working rather hard, as though they had forgotten how to do it.**

Many people were looking more and more surprised that Harry was even remotely nervous

**"Harry! Good-o!" said Bagman happily, looking around at him. "Come in, come in, make yourself at home!"**

"No thanks" muttered Harry

**Bagman looked somehow like a slightly overblown cartoon figure, standing amid all the pale-faced champions. He was wearing his old Wasp robes again.**

Wood looked in that awe Harry had got meet Bagman

**"Well, now we're all here - time to fill you in!" said Bagman brightly.**

"Bout 48hrs too late" said George snidely

Bill looked at his younger brother in concern

**"When the audience has assembled, I'm going to be offering each of you this bag" - he held up a small sack of purple silk and shook it at them - "from which you will each select a small model of the thing you are about to face!**

"Oh cool, you got a model of your dragons" squeaked Colin Creevy in excitement

Harry, Fleur and Viktor nodded

"Do you still have them" asked Neville

The three champions again nodded

**There are different - er - varieties, you see. And I have to tell you something else too. . . ah, yes. . . your task is to collect the golden egg!"**

"Oh yes, that's all" said Fred grinning

"You collect an egg from a dragon" finished George also smirking

**Harry glanced around. Cedric had nodded once, to show that he understood Bagman's words, and then started pacing around the tent again; he looked slightly green. Fleur Delacour and Krum hadn't reacted at all. Perhaps they thought they might be sick if they opened their mouths;**

Both of them nodded to confirm it

**that was certainly how Harry felt. But they, at least, had volunteered for this. . .**

"I was rather wishing I hadn't at that point" admitted Fleur

**And in no time at all, hundreds upon hundreds of pairs of feet could be heard passing the tent, their owners talking excitedly, laughing, joking. . . .**

"We were wondering what you were going to face" said Neville

**Harry felt as separate from the crowd as though they were a different species. And then - it seemed like about a second later to Harry -**

"Time was acting very funny that day" said Fleur

**Bagman was opening the neck of the purple silk sack.**

**"Ladies first," he said, offering it to Fleur Delacour.**

"Such a gentleman" sneered Fred quietly

**She put a shaking hand inside the bag and drew out a tiny, perfect model of a dragon - a Welsh Green.**

Many of the first years looked fascinated

**It had the number two around its neck And Harry knew, by the fact that Fleur showed no sign of surprise, but rather a determined resignation, that he had been right: Madame Maxime had told her what was coming.**

Fleur nodded and Dumbledore just sighed, at least they had all known he thought

**The same held true for Krum. He pulled out the scarlet Chinese Fireball. It had a number three around its neck. He didn't even blink, just sat back down and stared at the ground.**

Viktor chuckled, "I was worried I might just cursing things randomly"

**Cedric put his hand into the bag, and out came the blueish-gray Swedish Short-Snout, the number one tied around its neck.**

"Cedric kept his model" commented Hannah sadly

**Knowing what was left, Harry put his hand into the silk bag and pulled out the Hungarian Horntail, and the number four.**

"Just your luck mate," said Seamus with a slight grin

**It stretched its wings as he looked down at it, and bared its minuscule fangs.**

"Even the model has the attitude" laughed Lee

**"Well, there you are!" said Bagman. "You have each pulled out the dragon you will face, and the numbers refer to the order in which you are to take on the dragons,**

"Not sure what would be worse" commented Hermione "First or last"

**do you see? Now, I'm going to have to leave you in a moment, because I'm commentating. Mr. Diggory, you're first, just go out into the enclosure when you hear a whistle,**

Hermione shook her head "I don't know how he could be so casual about it"

**all right? Now. . . Harry. . . could I have a quick word? Outside?"**

Several of the ministry workers raised their eyebrows

**"Er. . . yes," said Harry blankly, and he got up and went out of the tent with Bagman, who walked him a short distance away, into the trees, and then turned to him with a fatherly expression on his face.**

More and more people were looking curious

**"Feeling all right, Harry? Anything I can get you?"**

"A way out would've been nice" muttered Harry

**"What?" said Harry. "I - no, nothing. "**

George and Fred narrowed their eyes in disgust

**"Got a plan?" said Bagman, lowering his voice conspiratorially. "Because I don't mind sharing a few pointers, if you'd like them,**

"Ah ha" shrieked Umbridge "You were conspiring to cheat with Mr. Bagman"

3/4 of the hall gave her disgusted looks

"Bagman offered him, Harry didn't ask," said Daphne sharply

Umbridge turned to her "Mind your tongue Miss Greengrass"

"Leave her alone," said Hermione just as sharp

Umbridge looked ready to explode, when Fudge tugged at her arm

"Sit down Dolores," he said looking furious

Umbridge ready to argue, but she seemed to recognise that she was on very thin ice

**you know. I mean," Bagman continued, lowering his voice still further, "you're the underdog here, Harry. . . . Anything I can do to help. . . "**

Umbridge continued to look furious

**"No," said Harry so quickly he knew he had sounded rude, "no - I - I know what I'm going to do, thanks. "**

A few people chuckled at that

**"Nobody would know, Harry," said Bagman, winking at him.**

_We do now_ thought Umbridge, she was furious Potter was again getting away with his crimes, it looked like more extreme action would needed...

**"No, I'm fine," said Harry, wondering why he kept telling people this, and wondering whether he had ever been less fine. "I've got a plan worked out, I -"**

"Not a bad plan as it turned out" grinned Neville

**A whistle had blown somewhere.**

**"Good lord, I've got to run!" said Bagman in alarm, and he hurried off.**

All three champions shuddered

**Harry walked back to the tent and saw Cedric emerging from it, greener than ever. Harry tried to wish him luck as he walked past, but all that came out of his mouth was a sort of hoarse grunt.**

The hufflepuffs all looked proud at the memory of Cedric

**Harry went back inside to Fleur and Krum. Seconds hater, they heard the roar of the crowd, which meant Cedric had entered the enclosure and was now face-to-face with the living counterpart of his model. . . .**

"With hind-sight he didn't actually look that surprised" commented Ernie

"That's right" remembered Hannah looking at Harry

"Yeah, he didn't even blink" finished Justin

Many of the Hufflepuffs were looking at Harry in a new light

**It was worse than Harry could ever have imagined, sitting there and listening. The crowd screamed. . . yelled. . . gasped**

"I was torn between watching and not" said Hannah

**like a single many-headed entity, as Cedric did whatever he was doing to get past the Swedish Short-Snout.**

"He did really well" said Sprout sadly

**Krum was still staring at the ground. Fleur had now taken to retracing Cedric's steps, around and around the tent. And Bagman's commentary made everything much, much worse. . . .**

"It was awful just sitting there waiting" said Fleur

**Horrible pictures formed in Harry's mind as he heard: "Oooh, narrow miss there, very narrow". . . "He's taking risks, this one!". . . "Clever move - pity it didn't work!"**

"All sorts of things were going through my head" said Viktor

**And then, after about fifteen minutes, Harry heard the deafening roar that could mean only one thing: Cedric had gotten past his dragon and captured the golden egg.**

"I've never been more relieved about anything before" said Sprout

**"Very good indeed!" Bagman was shouting. "And now the marks from the judges!"**

"Good isn't necessarily the word I would use" mused Daphne

**But he didn't shout out the marks; Harry supposed the judges were holding them up and showing them to the crowd.**

**"One down, three to go!" Bagman yelled as the whistle blew again. "Miss Delacour, if you please!"**

"I wasn't sure if I was relieved it was my turn or terrifed" said Fleur

Bill squeazed her hand in comfort

**Fleur was trembling from head to foot; Harry felt more warmly toward her than he had done so far**

"I think more terrified than relieved," said Fleur

**as she heft the tent with her head held high and her hand clutching her wand. He and Krum were left alone, at opposite sides of the tent, avoiding each other's gaze.**

"We were not being rude" said Harry and Viktor nodded

"We simply didn't know what to say to each other" said Viktor

**The same process started again. . . . "Oh I'm not sure that was wise!" they could hear Bagman shouting gleefully. "Oh. . . nearly! Careful now. . . good lord, I thought she'd had it then!"**

Hermione and Daphne both shook their heads

**Ten minutes later, Harry heard the crowd erupt into applause once more. . . . Fleur must have been successful too.**

Fleur grimaced at the memories

**A pause, while Fleur's marks were being shown. . . more clapping. . . then, for the third time, the whistle.**

Krum joined Fleur in grimacing

**"And here comes Mr. Krum!" cried Bagman, and Krum slouched out, leaving Harry quite alone.**

"That was awful" stated the wizard in question

**He felt much more aware of his body than usual; very aware of the way his heart was pumping fast,**

Quite a lot of Harry's fans were struggling to believe he could ever be this nervous

**and his fingers tingling with fear. . . yet at the same time, he seemed to be outside himself, seeing the walls of the tent, and hearing the crowd, as though from far away.**

Many of the girls were actually quite interested in this insight into Harry's brain

**"Very daring!" Bagman was yelling, and Harry heard the Chinese Fireball emit a horrible, roaring shriek, while the crowd drew its collective breath. "That's some nerve he's showing - and - yes, he's got the egg!"**

Krum winced as the memories came flooding back

**Applause shattered the wintery air like breaking glass; Krum had finished - it would be Harry's turn any moment.**

It was Harry's turn to wince

**He stood up, noticing dimly that his legs seemed to be made of marshmallow.**

Harry shook his head, waiting really was the worst when you were nervous

**He waited. And then he heard the whistle blow. He walked out through the entrance of the tent, the panic rising into a crescendo inside him.**

Neville, Dean & Seamus couldn't believe that Harry was genuinely that scared

**And now he was walking past the trees, through a gap in the enclosure fence.**

"Longest walk of my life" said Harry

**He saw everything in front of him as though it was a very highly colored dream. There were hundreds and hundreds of faces staring down at him from stands that had been magicked there since he'd last stood on this spot.**

"Under other circumstances, I might have been impressed" said Harry casually

**And there was the Horntail, at the other end of the enclosure, crouched low over her clutch of eggs, her wings half-furled, her evil, yellow eyes upon him, a monstrous, scaly, black lizard, thrashing her spiked tail, heaving yard-long gouge marks in the hard ground.**

Sirius and Remus had both gone very white

**The crowd was making a great deal of noise, but whether friendly or not,**

"Actually most were chearing for you" said Hermione

Daphne nodded "Even a couple of Slytherins" she admitted

Harry couldn't help but smile a little at that

**Harry didn't know or care. It was time to do what he had to do. . . to focus his mind, entirely and absolutely, upon the thing that was his only chance.**

The aurors leaned forward, they were interested to know how he reacted to a situation like this

**He raised his wand.**

**"Accio Firebolt!" he shouted.**

"Don't worry" squeaked Flitwick "It will work"

**Harry waited, every fibre of him hoping, praying. . . . If it hadn't worked. . . if it wasn't coming. . . He seemed to be looking at everything around him through some sort of shimmering, transparent barrier, like a heat haze, which made the enclosure and the hundreds of faces around him swim strangely. . . .**

"We hadn't heard you say the spell," said Ron speaking for the first time in a while

"Yeah, we thought you had just frozen," said Ginny

**And then he heard it, speeding through the air behind him; he turned and saw his Firebolt hurtling toward him around the edge of the woods,**

_Phew_ thought Remus,

Whilst he and Sirius knew of course that Harry would be ok, hearing it from his point of view was not pleasant

**soaring into the enclosure, and stopping dead in midair beside him, waiting for him to mount.**

Sirius had never been more glad that he had bought that firebolt

**The crowd was making even more noise. . . . Bagman was shouting something. . . but Harry's ears were not working properly anymore. . . listening wasn't important. . . .**

"He said something about a good plan," said Hermione

**He swung his leg over the broom and kicked off from the ground. And a second later, something miraculous happened. . . .**

Harry couldn't resist grinning, he loved flying

**As he soared upward, as the wind rushed through his hair,**

Viktor and Wood both grinned, they knew exactly what Harry felt

**as the crowd's faces became mere flesh-coloured pinpricks below, and the Horntail shrank to the size of a dog,**

"A dragon is much less threatening from a great height" grinned Harry

the hall laughed

**he realized that he had left not only the ground behind, but also his fear. . . . He was back where he belonged. . . .**

Aurors all looked very impressed

**This was just another Quidditch match, that was all. . . just another Quidditch match, and that Horntail was just another ugly opposing team. . . .**

"That's a good way to look at it," said Viktor

Wood looked immensely proud

**He looked down at the clutch of eggs and spotted the gold one, gleaming against its cement-coloured fellows, residing safely between the dragon's front legs.**

Both Sirius and Remus now looked rather unwell

**"Okay," Harry told himself, "diversionary tactics. . . let's go. . . "**

"THAT'S MY BOY" roared Wood, causing several first-years to jump

**He dived. The Horntail's head followed him; he knew what it was going to do and pulled out of the dive just in time; a jet of fire had been released exactly where he would have been had he not swerved away. . .**

Remus was gripping the table very tightly

**but Harry didn't care. . .**

"Naturally" muttered Pomfrey

**that was no more than dodging a Bludger. . . .**

Wood nodded furiously

**"Great Scott, he can fly!" yelled Bagman as the crowd shrieked and gasped. "Are you watching this, Mr. Krum?"**

The hall turned to Krum,

"I did watch a small bit of it, and I was quite impressed by what I saw," said Krum

Harry couldn't help but grin at the praise, whilst Wood looked slightly teary

**Harry soared higher in a circle; the Horntail was still following his progress; its head revolving on its long neck - if he kept this up, it would be nicely dizzy - but better not push it too long, or it would be breathing fire again -**

Molly was gripping Arthur tightly

**Harry plummeted just as the Horntail opened its mouth,**

Sirius was as white as a ghost

**but this time he was less lucky - he missed the flames, but the tail came whipping up to meet him instead, and as he swerved to the left, one of the long spikes grazed his shoulder, ripping his robes -**

"Oh know" murmured Molly

**He could feel it stinging, he could hear screaming and groans from the crowd, but the cut didn't seem to be deep. . . .**

Pomfrey tutted

**Now he zoomed around the back of the Horntail, and a possibility occurred to him. . . .**

"Oh no" moaned Remus

**The Horntail didn't seem to want to take off, she was too protective of her eggs.**

Charlie nodded "Female dragons are fiercely protective of their eggs"

**Though she writhed and twisted, furling and unfurling her wings and keeping those fearsome yellow eyes on Harry, she was afraid to move too far from them. . .**

A few of the animal fans were beginning to follow Harry's train of thoughts

**but he had to persuade her to do it, or he'd never get near them. . . . The trick was to do it carefully, gradually. . . .**

"Yes" moaned Molly "Do be careful"

**He began to fly, first this way, then the other, not near enough to make her breathe fire to stave him off, but still posing a sufficient threat to ensure she kept her eyes on him.**

Charlie nodded "It was a really good tactic"

**Her head swayed this way and that, watching him out of those vertical pupils, her fangs bared. . . .**

McGonagall turned pale at the reminder of that day

**He flew higher. The Horntail's head rose with him, her neck now stretched to its fullest extent, still swaying, hike a snake before its charmer. . . .**

Harry shook his head at the foreshadowing

**Harry rose a few more feet, and she let out a roar of exasperation. He was like a fly to her, a fly she was longing to swat;**

"That's probably how she viewed you" laughed Charlie

**her tail thrashed again, but he was too high to reach now. . . . She shot fire into the air, which he dodged. . . . Her jaws opened wide. . . .**

Sirius and Remus were looking tight-lipped and white

**"Come on," Harry hissed, swerving tantalizingly above her, "come on, come and get me. . . up you get now. . . "**

The Aurors all looked at each other, they had made their minds up...

**And then she reared, spreading her great, black, leathery wings at last, as wide as those of a small aeroplane -**

Arthur looked up at the mention of aeroplanes

**and Harry dived.**

"I closed my eyes at that point" admitted Hermione

**Before the dragon knew what he had done, or where he had disappeared to, he was speeding toward the ground as fast as he could go, toward the eggs**

Even some of the Slytherins looked impressed against their will

**now unprotected by her clawed front legs - he had taken his hands off his Firebolt - he had seized the golden egg -**

Sirius, Remus and Molly all looked ready to faint

**And with a huge spurt of speed, he was off, he was soaring out over the stands, the heavy egg safely under his uninjured arm,**

Sirius and Remus exchanged looks at the thought of what Lily and James would've done

**and it was as though somebody had just turned the volume back up - for the first time, he became properly aware of the noise of the crowd,** **which was screaming and applauding as loudly as the Irish supporters at the World Cup -**

"It was deafening," said Hermione

**"Look at that!" Bagman was yelling. "Will you look at that! Our youngest champion is quickest to get his egg! Well, this is going to shorten the odds on Mr Potter!"**

"It did" confessed Arthur everyone looked at him,

"Everyone at the ministry was talking about the next day," said Amelia Bones

**Harry saw the dragon keepers rushing forward to subdue the Horntail,**

"Thank goodness," said Molly hand on chest

**and, over at the entrance to the enclosure, Professor McGonagall, Professor Moody, and Hagrid hurrying to meet him,**

McGonagall thought back, she had just been anxious to make sure he was okay

**all of them waving him toward them, their smiles evident even from this distance. He flew back over the stands, the noise of the crowd pounding his eardrums,**

"With hindsight, it was quite a lot of fun" commented Harry with a slight grin

Remus and Sirius shot him worried looks

**and came in smoothly to land, his heart lighter than it had been in weeks. . . . He had got through the first task, he had survived. . . .**

"Only just" muttered Sirius

**"That was excellent, Potter!" cried Professor McGonagall as he got off the Firebolt -**

Harry grinned at her and McGonagall gave him a small smile in return

**which from her was extravagant praise.**

Harry couldn't help but look pleased

**He noticed that her hand shook as she pointed at his shoulder. "You'll need to see Madam Pomfrey before the judges give out your score. . . . Over there, she's had to mop up Diggory already. . . . "**

Pomfrey shot an angry look at both Dumbledore and Fudge

**"Yeh did it, Harry!" said Hagrid hoarsely. "Yeh did it! An' agains' the Horntail an' all, an' yeh know Charlie said that was the wors' -"**

McGonagall and Sprout just shook their heads

**"Thanks, Hagrid," said Harry loudly, so that Hagrid wouldn't blunder on and reveal that he had shown Harry the dragons beforehand.**

"I wouldn't of cared" said McGonagall

"Neither would I" said Sprout

Harry looked at them in surprise and they simply smiled at him

**Professor Moody looked very pleased too; his magical eye was dancing in its socket.**

**"Nice and easy does the trick, Potter," he growled.**

Harry couldn't believe it, a death eater giving him help, the irony

**"Right then, Potter, the first aid tent, please. . . " said Professor McGonagall.**

McGonagall looked pale, she still remembered how horrible that day was

**Harry walked out of the enclosure, still panting, and saw Madam Pomfrey standing at the mouth of a second tent, looking worried.**

Pomfrey once again pursed her lips

**"Dragons!" she said, in a disgusted tone, pulling Harry inside. The tent was divided into cubicles; he could make out Cedric's shadow through the canvas, but Cedric didn't seem to be badly injured;**

Pomfrey sighed "He was lucky"

**he was sitting up, at least. Madam Pomfrey examined Harry's shoulder, talking furiously all the while. "Last year dementors, this year dragons, what are they going to bring into this school next?**

"Uh a toad" said Lee innocently

Causing many to burst out laughing, Umbridge just scowled even more

**You're very lucky. . . this is quite shallow. . . it'll need cleaning before I heal it up, though. . . . "**

Sirius and Remus still didn't look happy

**She cleaned the cut with a dab of some purple liquid that smoked and stung, but then poked his shoulder with her wand, and he felt it heal instantly.**

"I really do love magic" said Harry

**"Now, just sit quietly for a minute - sit! And then you can go and get your score. "**

Sirius looked up, he was interested to know what Harry's score was

**She bustled out of the tent and he heard her go next door and say, "How does it feel now, Diggory?"**

Sprout felt tears welling up, it seemed so cruel that Cedric would survive the dragon, only to be killed when so close to winning

**Harry didn't want to sit still. He was too full of adrenaline.**

Pomfrey just glared at him, which he ignored

**He got to his feet, wanting to see what was going on outside, but before he'd reached the mouth of the tent, two people had come darting inside - Hermione, followed closely by Ron.**

Everyone raised their eyebrows

**"Harry, you were brilliant!" Hermione said squeakily. There were fingernail marks on her face where she had been clutching it in fear. "You were amazing! You really were!"**

"Yeah you really were" repeated Hermione

**But Harry was looking at Ron, who was very white and staring at Harry as though he were a ghost.**

"I just couldn't believe you had survived that" said Ron

**"Harry," he said, very seriously, "whoever put your name in that goblet - I - I reckon they're trying to do you in!"**

"Took you long enough" growled Sirius

Ron looked ashamed of himself

"Don't Sirius?" said Harry "After all everyone else thought so"

"Doesn't matter, he's meant to be your best friend?" said Sirius breathing heavily "He should've believed you over anyone else"

"Well it's over and done with now," said Harry firmly

Sirius looked like he wanted to argue but stayed quite.

**It was as though the last few weeks had never happened - as though Harry were meeting Ron for the first time, right after he'd been made champion.**

Arthur and Molly looked pleased that Ron had come to his senses

**"Caught on, have you?" said Harry coldly. "Took you long enough. "**

Harry just sighed

**Hermione stood nervously between them, looking from one to the other. Ron opened his mouth uncertainly. Harry knew Ron was about to apologize and suddenly he found he didn't need to hear it.**

"I didn't matter at that point" said Harry

**"It's okay," he said before Ron could get the words out. "Forget it. "**

The teachers looked pleased that they were making up

**"No," said Ron, "I shouldn't've -"**

**"Forget it, "Harry said.**

"You really are too forgiving at times," said Daphne smiling gently

Harry grinned back at her

**Ron grinned nervously at him, and Harry grinned back.**

**Hermione burst into tears.**

The hall turned to look at Hermione

**"There's nothing to cry about!" Harry told her, bewildered.**

"What are you crying about" asked Neville

Daphne, Hermione and Ginny all shook their heads

**"You two are so stupid!" she shouted, stamping her foot on the ground, tears splashing down her front. Then, before either of them could stop her, she had given both of them a hug and dashed away, now positively howling.**

The hall laughed and the trio as one turned red

**"Barking mad," said Ron, shaking his head. "Harry, c'mon, they'll be putting up your scores. . . . "**

"Boys" muttered Hermione

**Picking up the golden egg and his Firebolt, feeling more elated than he would have believed possible an hour ago, Harry ducked out of the tent, Ron by his side, talking fast.**

"Glad to see you had no hard feelings" muttered Sirius quietly, he wasn't happy with Ron

**"You were the best, you know, no competition. Cedric did this weird thing where he Transfigured a rock on the ground. . . turned it into a dog. . . he was trying to make the dragon go for the dog instead of him.**

"He was good at transfiguration," said McGonagall softly

**Well, it was a pretty cool bit of Transfiguration, and it sort of worked, because he did get the egg, but he got burned as well -**

Sprout shuddered at the memory, whilst Pomfrey simply tutted

**the dragon changed its mind halfway through and decided it would rather have him than the Labrador;**

Sprout winced again as did most of the Hufflepuffs

**he only just got away. And that Fleur girl tried this sort of charm, I think she was trying to put it into a trance - well, that kind of worked too, it went all sleepy, but then it snored, and this great jet of flame shot out, and her skirt caught fire -**

Fleur shuddered, whilst Bill patted her hand comfortingly

**she put it out with a bit of water out of her wand. And Krum - you won't believe this, but he didn't even think of flying!**

Krum shook his head, hindsight really was 20/20

**He was probably the best after you, though. Hit it with some sort of spell right in the eye.**

The animal lovers frowned

**Only** **thing is, it went trampling around in agony and squashed half the real eggs - they took marks off for that, he wasn't supposed to do any damage to them. "**

the frowns turned to scowls

**Ron drew breath as he and Harry reached the edge of the enclosure. Now that the Horntail had been taken away, Harry could see where the five judges were sitting - right at the other end, in raised seats draped in gold.**

"Suppose it would've been the best view" commented Hermione

"It was Miss. Granger" confirmed Dumbledore kindly

**"It's marks out of ten from each one," Ron said, and Harry squinting up the field, saw the first judge - Madame Maxime - raise her wand in the air. What hooked like a long silver ribbon shot out of it, which twisted itself into a large figure eight.**

Fleur smiled "She was for the most part fair"

**"Not bad!" said Ron as the crowd applauded. "I suppose she took marks off for your shoulder. . . "**

Fleur nodded, that probably was the reason

**Mr. Crouch came next. He shot a number nine into the air.**

**"Looking good!" Ron yelled, thumping Harry on the back.**

"Nice" said Sirius

**Next, Dumbledore. He too put up a nine. The crowd was cheering harder than ever.**

Sirius clapped Harry on the back

**Ludo Bagman - ten.**

**"Ten?" said Harry in disbelief. "But. . . I got hurt. . . . What's he playing at?"**

"You were protesting a 10" asked Justin in disbelief

Harry just shrugged

"He's just a noble prat" said Ron grinning

**"Harry, don't complain!" Ron yelled excitedly.**

Quite a few people just couldn't believe it

**And now Karkaroff raised his wand. He paused for a moment, and then a number shot out of his wand too - four.**

Sirius scowled

**"What?" Ron bellowed furiously. "Four? You lousy, biased scum-bag, you gave Krum ten!"**

Krum just sighed

**But Harry didn't care, he wouldn't have cared if Karkaroff had given him zero; Ron's indignation on his behalf was worth about a hundred points to him.**

The two boys grinned at each other

**He** **didn't tell Ron this, of course, but his heart felt lighter than air as he turned to leave the enclosure. And it wasn't just Ron. . . those weren't only Gryffindors cheering in the crowd.**

Ron smiled, but it was a smile tinged with guilt. He would never forgive himself for betraying Harry

**When it had come to it, when they had seen what he was facing, most of the school had been on his side as well as Cedric's. . . . He didn't care about the Slytherins, he could stand whatever they threw at him now.**

"I believed you," said Daphne and then gesturing to her friends also at the Gryffindor table "And so did a few others"

Pansy, Malfoy and Umbridge scowled, although Draco less than he would've done beforehand

**"You're tied in first place, Harry! You and Krum!" said Charlie Weasley,**

"Well done" grinned Sirius, his sense of humour recovering slightly

**hurrying to meet them as they set off back toward the school. "Listen, I've got to run, I've got to go and send Mum an owl, I swore I'd tell her what happened -**

"You failed to mention that Harry got hurt" said Molly glaring at her second son

Charlie winced, whilst his siblings grinned at him

**but that was unbelievable! Oh yeah - and they told me to tell you you've got to hang around for a few more minutes. . . . Bagman wants a word, back in the champions' tent. "**

Fred and George narrowed their eyes

**Ron said he would wait, so Harry reentered the tent, which somehow looked quite different now: friendly and welcoming.**

_Funny how quickly things could change_ mused Harry

**He thought back to how he'd felt while dodging the Horntail, and compared it to the long wait before he'd walked out to face it. . . . There was no comparison; the wait had been immeasurably worse.**

Fleur and Krum nodded in agreement

**Fleur, Cedric, and Krum all came in together. One side of Cedric's face was covered in a thick orange paste, which was presumably mending his burn. He grinned at Harry when he saw him.**

Harry smiled sadly

**"Good one, Harry. "**

**"And you," said Harry, grinning back.**

"Thank you" whispered Hannah

Many of the other Hufflepuffs looked grateful as well

Harry just nodded

**"Well done, all of you!" said Ludo Bagman, bouncing into the tent and looking as pleased as though he personally had just got past a dragon.**

Fred and George just scowled

**"Now, just a quick few words. You've got a nice long break before the second task,**

Fleur, Viktor and Harry just winced at the thought of the lake

**which will take place at half past nine on the morning of February the twenty-fourth -**

Pomfrey glared, swimming in the lake in February

**but we're giving you something to think about in the meantime! If you look down at those golden eggs you're all holding, you will see that they open. . . see the hinges there? You need to solve the clue inside the egg -**

All three champions rolled their eyes

**because it will tell you what the second task is, and enable you to prepare for it! All clear? Sure? Well, off you go, then!"**

**Harry left the tent, rejoined Ron, and they started to walk back around the edge of the forest, talking hard; Harry wanted to hear what the other champions had done in more detail.**

"I was interest" admitted Harry

**Then, as they rounded the clump of trees behind which Harry had first heard the dragons roar,** **a witch leapt out** **from behind them.**

"Guess who" muttered Hermione quietly

**It was Rita Skeeter. She was wearing acid-green robes today; the Quick-Quotes Quill in her hand blended perfectly against them.**

"Uh oh" said Ginny

**"Congratulations, Harry!" she said, beaming at him. "I wonder if you could give me a quick word?**

"No" said Neville

**How you felt facing that dragon? How you feel now, about the fairness of the scoring?"**

"None of your business" snapped Daphne

**"Yeah, you can have a word," said Harry savagely. "Good-bye. "**

The whole hall burst out into laughter, including several of the adults

**And he set off back to the castle with Ron**

"That's the end of the chapter" said Luna

"Well I'm glad you two made up" said McGonagall

"As are we" said Arthur gesturing to Molly as well


	26. The House Elf-Liberation Front

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys sorry for the lack of updates, Uni is back in full swing now so I won't be updating as often, sorry if it seems a bit rushed I just really wanted to get one out for you

Harry looked up from his food as Dumbledore, McGonagall and Madame Bones return to the Great Hall, as they sat down the side door reopened and a very sullen looking Snape, 

"I wonder what was," wondered Ron

Harry didn't answer he just looked at Snape whose expression was now unreadable, however before he could think on it much more Dumbledore stood up, 

"I, think it would be excellent if we continued reading the books whilst we finished our excellent lunch," as he opened the book

**Harry, Ron, and Hermione went up to the Owlery that evening to find Pigwidgeon, so that Harry could send Sirius a letter telling him that he had managed to get past his dragon unscathed.**

'Well, mostly unscathed,' Harry corrected, thinking of his not-so-pleasant meeting with the dragon's tail spikes.

'I was relieved to hear you'd survived, though,' Sirius said quietly, 

**On the way, Harry filled Ron in on everything Sirius had told him about Karkaroff. Though shocked at first to hear that Karkaroff had been a Death Eater, by the time they entered the Owlery Ron was saying that they ought to have suspected it all along.**

'Was it the goatee with the curl that gave it away?' Fred asked innocently.

" **Fits, doesn't it?" he said. "Remember what Malfoy said on the train, about his dad being friends with Karkaroff?**

'True. Malfoy's dad does tend to be friends with evil gits,' said George airily.

"George," said Molly shooting Lucius a worried look, however, Lucius was to busy trying to work out how he was going to talk himself out of trouble,

**Now we know where they knew each other. They were probably running around in masks together at the World Cup…**

A few people tittered here and there.

**I'll tell you one thing, though, Harry, if it was Karkaroff who put your name in the goblet, he's going to be feeling really stupid now, isn't he?**

'People should know by now that Harry just _doesn't_ die,' Lee said seriously, shaking his head.

**Didn't work, did it? You only got a scratch!**

'Okay, slightly more than a scratch,' Ron smiled sheepishly.

**Come here - I'll do it -"**

**Pigwidgeon was so overexcited at the idea of a delivery he was flying around and around Harry's head, hooting incessantly.**

'Hyperactive owl,' snickered Seamus.

**Ron snatched Pigwidgeon out of the air and held him still while Harry attached the letter to his leg.**

" **There's no way any of the other tasks are going to be that dangerous, how could they be?"**

Harry twitched again as he thought about how dangerous the Third Task had turned out to be.

**Ron went on as he carried Pigwidgeon to the window. "You know what? I reckon you could win this tournament, Harry, I'm serious."**

'No, you're not,' Sirius smirked.

'Don't even say it!' Remus interjected quickly, glaring at Sirius.

'Say what, Moony?' Sirius asked innocently.

'You know full well _what_.'

**Harry knew that Ron was only saying this to make up for his behaviour of the last few weeks,**

'No, I was being serious, actually,' Ron corrected.

**but he appreciated it all the same. Hermione, however, leaned against the Owlery wall, folded her arms, and frowned at Ron.**

" **Harry's got a long way to go before he finishes this tournament," she said seriously. "If that was the first task, I hate to think what's coming next."**

'So full of joy, aren't you?' smirked Dean. Hermione ignored him.

"No, she was only being sensible," said Daphne and Hermione smiled at the Slytherin, 

" **Right little ray of sunshine, aren't you?" said Ron. "You and Professor Trelawney should get together sometime."**

'You really should,' Fred agreed, keeping a straight face as Hermione glared at him.

**He threw Pigwidgeon out of the window.**

'That's not a very nice thing to do, Ron,' Luna frowned vaguely.

**Pigwidgeon plummeted twelve feet before managing to pull himself back up again; the letter attached to his leg was much longer and heavier than usual - Harry hadn't been able to resist giving Sirius a blow-by-blow account of exactly how he had swerved, circled, and dodged the Horntail.**

'It wasn't a letter, kid,' Sirius chuckled. 'More like a bloody novel.'

**They watched Pigwidgeon disappear into the darkness, and then Ron said, "Well, we'd better get downstairs for your surprise party, Harry - Fred and George should have nicked enough food from the kitchens by now."**

Fred and George grinned innocently as the teachers and their mother gave him stern looks.

**Sure enough, when they entered the Gryffindor common room it exploded with cheers and yells again. There were mountains of cakes and flagons of pumpkin juice and butterbeer on every surface; Lee Jordan had let off some Filibuster's Fireworks so that the air was thick with stars and sparks;**

'This really makes me want to go to one of your parties,' Anthony grinned.

'Unfortunately, those ones are reserved for Gryffindor Tower only,' George said, grinning.

'However, I'm sure we could whip something up in the R-O-R,' Fred smirked, winking. The members of the D.A all shared hidden smirks at the in-joke.

**and Dean Thomas, who was very good at drawing, had put up some impressive new banners, most of which depicted Harry zooming around the Horntail's head on his Firebolt, though a couple showed Cedric with his head on fire.**

**Harry helped himself to food; he had almost forgotten what it was like to feel properly hungry, and sat down with Ron and Hermione. He couldn't believe how happy he felt; he had Ron back on his side, he'd gotten through the first task, and he wouldn't have to face the second one for three months.**

'That'd be enough to make anyone happy,' Hermione smiled.

" **Blimey, this is heavy," said Lee Jordan, picking up the golden egg, which Harry had left on a table, and weighing it in his hands. "Open it, Harry, go on! Let's just see what's inside it!"**

" **He's supposed to work out the clue on his own," Hermione said swiftly. "It's in the tournament rules…"**

'Can we remind you that you helped him out already?' Justin asked with a faint grin.

'I wasn't about to let my best friend be killed,' Hermione replied delicately.

However only Harry noticed Umbridge perk up at the last sentence, 

" **I was supposed to work out how to get past the dragon on my own too," Harry muttered, so only Hermione could hear him, and she grinned rather guiltily.**

" **Yeah, go on, Harry, open it!" several people echoed.**

**Lee passed Harry the egg, and Harry dug his fingernails into the groove that ran all the way around it and prised it open.**

**It was hollow and completely empty - but the moment Harry opened it, the most horrible noise, a loud and screechy wailing, filled the room. The nearest thing to it Harry had ever heard was the ghost orchestra at Nearly Headless Nick's deathday party, who had all been playing the musical saw.**

'I didn't know a saw could be musical,' Colin laughed.

'Neither did we, until that night,' Ron grinned.

" **Shut it!" Fred bellowed, his hands over his ears.**

" **What was that?" said Seamus Finnigan, staring at the egg as Harry slammed it shut again. "Sounded like a banshee… Maybe you've got to get past one of those next, Harry!"**

" **It was someone being tortured!" said Neville, who had gone very white and spilled sausage rolls all over the floor.**

People who had read the _Daily Prophet_ article on the escaped Death Eaters that detailed their crimes shot Neville looks of sympathy, which he didn't acknowledge.

" **You're going to have to fight the Cruciatus Curse!"**

Harry tried desperately not to think about how true it had turned out to be, forcing himself not to tense, as though expecting an attack. Still, he was paler than per usual nonetheless.

" **Don't be a prat, Neville, that's illegal," said George. "They wouldn't use the Cruciatus Curse on the champions.**

'It didn't stop _him_ though, did it?' Harry murmured quietly, too low for most people to hear, jerking involuntarily. He looked down at the table as he concentrated on dispelling the memories of invisible, fire covered knives and white-hot pain.

Daphne and Hermione, seated on either side of him, did hear the barely murmured words, though, and they looked at him as he looked down. They then exchanged a look of questioning over the top of his head as they tried to understand what he could mean. Suddenly, dull light of grim comprehension dawned in Hermione's eyes, and she locked eyes with Daphne,

 _You don't think..._ Hermione mouthed to her, trailing off as he nodded downwards at her best friend 

Daphne flickered her eyes to Harry's form, and she could only shrug helplessly as she looked back at Hermione. _I hope not_ , she mouthed back at him.

**I thought it sounded a bit like Percy singing…**

Percy blushed red.

**maybe you've got to attack him while he's in the shower. Harry."**

The Hall couldn't help themselves but laugh.

" **Want a jam tart, Hermione?" said Fred.**

**Hermione looked doubtfully at the plate he was offering her.**

'You're right not to trust a prankster,' Sirius grinned.

'Which would be why no one ever trusted you,' Remus said dryly.

**Fred grinned.**

" **It's all right," he said. "I haven't done anything to them. It's the custard creams you've got to watch -"**

**Neville, who had just bitten into a custard cream, choked and spat it out. Fred laughed.**

" **Just my little joke, Neville…"**

**Hermione took a jam tart.**

'You were looking so dubious about it, it was funny,' laughed Fred reminiscently.

**Then she said, "Did you get all this from the kitchens, Fred?"**

" **Yep," said Fred, grinning at her. He put on a high-pitched squeak and imitated a house-elf. "'Anything we can get you, sir, anything at all!' They're dead helpful… get me a roast ox if I said I was peckish."**

'I love house-elves,' grinned a pure-blood in Hufflepuff.

" **How do you get in there?" Hermione said in an innocently casual sort of voice.**

Hermione blushed, 

" **Easy," said Fred, "concealed door behind a painting of a bowl of fruit. Just tickle the pear, and it giggles and -"**

'Great job falling for her flattery, bro',' Ron sighed, shaking his head.

**He stopped and looked suspiciously at her. "Why?"**

" **Nothing," said Hermione quickly.**

'Terrible lying skills,' George tutted, shaking his head critically.

" **Going to try and lead the house-elves out on strike now, are you?" said George. "Going to give up all the leaflet stuff and try and stir them up into rebellion?"**

**Several people chortled. Hermione didn't answer.**

" **Don't you go upsetting them and telling them they've got to take clothes and salaries!" said Fred warningly. "You'll put them off their cooking!"**

**Just then, Neville caused a slight diversion by turning into a large canary.**

A lot of people laughed, causing the twins to grin widely.

" **Oh - sorry, Neville!" Fred shouted over all the laughter. "I forgot - it was the custard creams we hexed -"**

**Within a minute, however, Neville had moulted, and once his feathers had fallen off, he reappeared looking entirely normal. He even joined in laughing.**

'The people who have the ability to laugh at themselves are amazing people,' sighed Dean, smirking.

" **Canary Creams!" Fred shouted to the excitable crowd. "George and I invented them -**

'Such excellent uses of magic, wouldn't you agree?' Flitwick murmured to McGonagall, who had to agree on that.

**seven Sickles each, a bargain!"**

'True businessmen,' Remus smiled.

**It was nearly one in the morning when Harry finally went up to the dormitory with Ron, Neville, Seamus, and Dean.**

'Long party, then,' commented Terry.

'I notice you didn't go up to Gryffindor Tower to tell them all to go to bed,' Professor Vector laughed lightly at McGonagall, 

"I was just relieved, he was alive" she muttered to Sprout

**Before he pulled the curtains of his four-poster shut, Harry set his tiny model of the Hungarian Horntail on the table next to his bed, where it yawned, curled up, and closed its eyes.**

'Have you still got it?' Susan asked questioningly.

'Yeah, he has,' Ron answered for his best mate, grinning. 'Still on his bedside table.'

**Really, Harry thought, as he pulled the hangings on his four-poster closed, Hagrid had a point… they were all right, really, dragons…**

Hagrid couldn't help but beam.

**The start of December brought wind and sleet to Hogwarts.**

'The cheerful weather of the United Kingdom,' Neville grinned sardonically.

**Drafty though the castle always was in winter, Harry was glad of its fires and thick walls every time he passed the Durmstrang ship on the lake, which was pitching in the high winds, its black sails billowing against the dark skies.**

'You weren't the only one,' Anthony laughed, murmurs of agreement echoing around him.

**He thought the Beauxbatons caravan was likely to be pretty chilly too.**

'I'm sure some of the boys in here would have been more than willing to let the girls share their beds,' Padma snorted dryly.

**Hagrid, he noticed, was keeping Madame Maxime's horses well provided with their preferred drink of single-malt whiskey; the fumes wafting from the trough in the comer of their paddock was enough to make the entire Care of Magical Creatures class light-headed. This was unhelpful, as they were still tending the horrible skrewts and needed their wits about them.**

Hagrid looked sheepish under the stare of Madam Pomfrey.

Umbridge looked sour that she wasn't going to be able to get Hagrid for this, 

" **I'm not sure whether they hibernate or not," Hagrid told the shivering class in the windy pumpkin patch next lesson. "Thought we'd jus' try an see if they fancied a kip…**

'But what if they don't want to go to bed?' Lee questioned, keeping a straight face.

**we'll jus' settle 'em down in these boxes…"**

'No teddy for the poor skrewts, Hagrid?' George asked in an indignant voice, gasping.

'And what about a blanket?' Fred joined in, eyes widening.

'And a pillow?'

'And hot chocolate?'

'And a toothbrush?'

'And a bedtime story?'

'BOYS" said McGonagall sternly 

**There were now only ten skrewts left;**

'You make it sound like a bad thing,' Lavender muttered, wrinkling her nose in distaste.

**apparently, their desire to kill one another had not been exercised out of them.**

'Take them for a walk on a treadmill,' Justin snickered. The Muggle-borns and half-bloods who knew what he was talking about all sniggered at the thought of a skrewt on a treadmill.

**Each of them was now approaching six feet in length.**

Everyone who had been in that class that year shuddered at the memory.

**Their thick grey armour; their powerful, scuttling legs; their fire-blasting ends; their stings and their suckers, combined to make the skrewts the most repulsive things Harry had ever seen.**

'Well, not _the_ most repulsive thing I've ever seen anymore,' Harry corrected quietly, thinking of the form Voldemort had taken before he had gotten his body back.

**The class looked dispiritedly at the enormous boxes Hagrid had brought out, all lined with pillows and fluffy blankets.**

Fred and George just stared in disbelief. Their asking of where pillows and blankets were had been purely sarcastic... they hadn't actually expected Hagrid to have them.

" **We'll jus' lead 'em in here," Hagrid said, "an' put the lids on, and we'll see what happens."**

**But the skrewts, it transpired, did _not_ hibernate, and did not appreciate being forced into pillow-lined boxes and nailed in.**

'Well, I'd be insulted if someone tried to do that to me, as well,' Ernie proclaimed, struggling not to laugh.

'The pillow-lined boxes are like coffins,' Luna commented, knowledge swirling within the depths of her large silvery eyes.

**Hagrid was soon yelling, "Don' panic, now, don' panic!" while the skrewts rampaged around the pumpkin patch, now strewn with the smouldering wreckage of the boxes.**

'Escaping death,' said Luna vaguely.

**Most of the class - Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle in the lead - had fled into Hagrid's cabin through the back door and barricaded themselves in;**

'Typical,' someone muttered scathingly.

**Harry, Ron, and Hermione, however, were among those who remained outside trying to help Hagrid.**

'Gryffindor stupidity,' Snape muttered.

'Gryffindor _nobility_ ,' McGonagall shot back sharply.

**Together they managed to restrain and tie up nine of the skrewts, though at the cost of numerous burns and cuts;**

'Yes, I remember giving people things for burns,' Madam Pomfrey tutted, before narrowing her eyes. 'I notice _you_ didn't come to the hospital wing to treat the burns, Potter.'

Harry began whistling innocently, looking anywhere but the nurse.

**finally, only one skrewt was left.**

'The angriest skrewt in town,' Ron muttered sarcastically.

" **Don' frighten him, now!" Hagrid shouted as Ron and Harry used their wands to shoot jets of fiery sparks at the skrewt,**

'Which won't work on them,' Harry muttered, hating the monster skrewts from the maze.

**which was advancing menacingly on them, its sting arched, quivering, over its back. "Jus' try an slip the rope 'round his sting, so he won hurt any o' the others!"**

'Because that would be such a tragedy,' Malfoy drawled.

Privately Harry agreed, however not wanting to hurt Hagrid's feelings kept quiet 

" **Yeah, we wouldn't want that!" Ron shouted angrily as he and Harry backed into the wall of Hagrid's cabin, still holding the skrewt off with their sparks.**

" **Well, well, well… this does look like fun."**

'Not her again,' groaned Sirius, shaking his head.

**Rita Skeeter was leaning on Hagrid's garden fence, looking in at the mayhem.**

Dumbledore frowned. She wasn't supposed to be in the school...

**She was wearing a thick magenta cloak with a furry purple collar today, and her crocodile-skin handbag was over her arm.**

Parvati wrinkled her nose.

**Hagrid launched himself forward on top of the skrewt that was cornering Harry and Ron and flattened it; a blast of fire shot out of its end, withering the pumpkin plants nearby.**

" **Who're you?" Hagrid asked Rita Skeeter as he slipped a loop of rope around the skrewt's sting and tightened it.**

" **Rita Skeeter, _Daily Prophet_ reporter," Rita replied, beaming at him. Her gold teeth glinted.**

Many people looked nauseous at the thought of having gold teeth. Normal teeth weren't enough, apparently.

" **Thought Dumbledore said you weren' allowed inside the school anymore," said Hagrid, frowning slightly as he got off the slightly squashed skrewt and started tugging it over to its fellows.**

'She isn't,' Dumbledore frowned again.

**Rita acted as though she hadn't heard what Hagrid had said.**

" **What are these fascinating creatures called?" she asked, beaming still more widely.**

' _Beaming_?' Ron repeated, raising an eyebrow. 'I thought she was baring her teeth.'

" **Blast-Ended Skrewts," grunted Hagrid.**

" **Really?" said Rita, apparently full of lively interest. "I've never heard of them before… where do they come from?"**

**Harry noticed a dull red flush rising up out of Hagrid's wild black beard, and his heart sank. Where had Hagrid got the skrewts from? Hermione, who seemed to be thinking along these lines, said quickly, "They're very interesting, aren't they? Aren't they, Harry?"**

" **What? Oh yeah… ouch… interesting," said Harry as she stepped on his foot.**

'I would have said yes without you breaking my toes,' Harry sighed, shaking his head.

'Sorry,' Hermione smiled sheepishly.

" **Ah, _you're_ here, Harry!" said Rita Skeeter as she looked around. "So you like Care of Magical Creatures, do you? One of your favourite lessons?"**

" **Yes," said Harry stoutly. Hagrid beamed at him.**

" **Lovely," said Rita. "Really lovely. Been teaching long?" she added to Hagrid. Harry noticed her eyes travel over Dean (who had a nasty cut across one cheek), Lavender (whose robes were badly singed), Seamus (who was nursing several burnt fingers), and then to the cabin windows, where most of the class stood, their noses pressed against the glass waiting to see if the coast was clear.**

'Good to notice the small details,' Mad-Eye nodded in obvious approval.

" **This is o'ny me second year," said Hagrid.**

" **Lovely… I don't suppose you'd like to give an interview, would you?**

'Don't do it, Hagrid! She's evil!' a first year shouted out impulsively.

**Share some of your experience of magical creatures? The _Prophet_ does a zoological column every Wednesday, as I'm sure you know. We could feature these - er - Bang-Ended Scoots."**

" **Blast-Ended Skrewts," Hagrid said eagerly. "Er - yeah, why not?"**

'No! She'll write it wrong!' the same first year cried.

**Harry had a very bad feeling about this, but there was no way of communicating it to Hagrid without Rita Skeeter seeing, so he had to stand and watch in silence as Hagrid and Rita Skeeter made arrangements to meet in the Three Broomsticks for a good long interview later that week. Then the bell rang up at the castle, signalling the end of the lesson.**

'Saved by the bell,' Hannah breathed in relief.

" **Well, goodbye, Harry!" Rita Skeeter called merrily to him as he set off with Ron and Hermione. "Until Friday night, then, Hagrid!"**

" **She'll twist everything he says," Harry said under his breath.**

" **Just as long as he didn't import those skrewts illegally or anything," said Hermione desperately.**

Umbridge's scowl deepened, 

**They looked at one another - it was exactly the sort of thing Hagrid might do.**

" **Hagrids been in loads of trouble before, and Dumbledore's never sacked him," said Ron consolingly. "Worst that can happen is Hagrid'll have to get rid of the skrewts. Sorry… did I say worst? I meant best."**

Just about everyone in the Hall had to laugh at that.

**Harry and Hermione laughed, and, feeling slightly more cheerful, went off to lunch.**

**Harry thoroughly enjoyed double Divination that afternoon;**

A few people turned towards Harry, their eyebrows raised and expressions incredulous.

'Wait for it,' Harry said, holding up his hand.

**they were still doing star charts and predictions, but now that he and Ron were friends once more, the whole thing seemed very funny again.**

'Ah,' people nodded in understanding, and Harry smirked, putting his hand down again.

**Professor Trelawney, who had been so pleased with the pair of them when they had been predicting their own horrific deaths,**

McGonagall pressed her lips together in a thin line of irritation.

**quickly became irritated as they sniggered through her explanation of the various ways in which Pluto could disrupt everyday life.**

Harry and Ron started sniggering again.

" **I would _think_ ," she said, in a mystical whisper that did not conceal her obvious annoyance, "that _some_ of us" - she stared very meaningfully at Harry-**

'Oh, here we go,' McGonagall muttered, shaking her head.

" **might be a little less _frivolous_ had they seen what I have seen during my crystal gazing last night. As I sat here, absorbed in my needlework, the urge to consult the orb overpowered me.**

Several people rolled their eyes.

**I arose, I settled myself before it,**

'I then realised I was hungry,' Lee continued in the mystical tone.

'So I departed from my tower,' Fred carried on in the same tone.

'And I proceeded to the kitchens,' George whispered.

'Where I gathered the food that would sustain me...'

'Half a dozen sandwiches, cooking sherry and cake...'

'I proceeded back to the tower...'

'Where I put them on the table in front of me...'

'And I began to eat them...'

'Savouring the taste and replenishing my energy...'

'Until I decided I could eat no more...'

'And so I returned to consult the wondrous orb...'

**and I gazed into its crystalline depths…**

'Heh, what'd you know? It made perfect sense,' Lee sniggered.

**and what do you think I saw gazing back at me?"**

" **An ugly old bat in outsize specs?" Ron muttered under his breath.**

The Hall broke down into sniggers again, even as Parvati and Lavender were looking around in a scandalised manner.

**Harry fought hard to keep his face straight.**

'It was very nearly a losing battle, I assure you,' Harry smirked.

" ** _Death_ , my dears."**

**Parvati and Lavender both put their hands over their mouths, looking horrified.**

" **Yes," said Professor Trelawney, nodding impressively, "it comes, ever closer, it circles overhead like a vulture, ever lower… ever lower over the castle…"**

Harry winced, dwelling on Cedric's death again.

**She stared pointedly at Harry, who yawned very widely and obviously.**

'That's the best way to go about things,' Tonks agreed with a bright smile.

" **It'd be a bit more impressive if she hadn't done it about eighty times before," Harry said as they finally regained the fresh air of the staircase beneath Professor Trelawney's room. "But if I'd dropped dead every time she's told me I'm going to, I'd be a medical miracle."**

'Sorry, let me correct that; I _am_ a medical miracle,' Harry muttered.

" **You'd be a sort of extra-concentrated ghost,"**

The Hall began laughing again as they conjured up a mental image of an extra-concentrated ghost version of Harry.

**said Ron, chortling, as they passed the Bloody Baron going in the opposite direction, his wide eyes staring sinisterly.**

" **At least we didn't get homework. I hope Hermione got loads off Professor Vector, I love not working when she is…"**

'Charming, Ronald,' said Hermione, although a small smile was threatening to break her otherwise stern expression.

**But Hermione wasn't at dinner, nor was she in the library when they went to look for her afterward.**

'Good Lord,' Fred whispered in mock shock, placing a hand over his heart. 'Hermione isn't in the library!'

**The only person in there was Viktor Krum.**

'I wonder why,' Ron growled under his breath.

**Ron hovered behind the bookshelves for a while, watching Krum, debating in whispers with Harry whether he should ask for an autograph - but then Ron realized that six or seven girls were lurking in the next row of books, debating exactly the same thing, and he lost his enthusiasm for the idea.**

Fred and George snickered.

" **Wonder where she's got to?" Ron said as he and Harry went back to Gryffindor Tower.**

" **Dunno… balderdash."**

**But the Fat Lady had barely begun to swing forward when the sound of racing feet behind them announced Hermione's arrival.**

" **Harry!" she panted, skidding to a halt beside him (the Fat Lady stared down at her, eyebrows raised.)**

'She must have a really entertaining time, you know,' Sirius grinned. 'She's seen thousands of parties in the tower, seen _us_ -' he gestured at himself and Remus – 'she's seen Fred, George and Lee and she's put up with the castle's resident detectives.'

'She always said that she didn't like you and James, though,' Remus snickered.

'We only asked her if she and Violet were planning to elope with either Sir Cadogan or that other paranoid nutter near the Transfiguration Courtyard. No reason to get offended.'

'Yeah, no reason at all,' Remus agreed sarcastically, rolling his eyes.

The Gryffindors all sniggered, 

" **Harry, you've got to come - you've _got_ to come, the most amazing thing's happened - please -"**

**She seized Harry's arm and started to try to drag him back along the corridor.**

'What is it with you and dragging Harry places?' Daphne asked in amusement. 'First, the time-turner experience, now dragging him again.'

'I'm used to it,' Harry grinned, waving a hand nonchalantly.

Hermione grinned as well, 

" **What's the matter?" Harry said.**

" **I'll show you when we get there - oh come on, quick -"**

**Harry looked around at Ron; he looked back at Harry, intrigued.**

" **Okay," Harry said, starting off back down the corridor with Hermione, Ron hurrying to keep up.**

'I hate it when you both do that, just go sprinting off somewhere,' Ron mock grumbled.

" **Oh don't mind me!" the Fat Lady called irritably after them. "Don't apologize for bothering me! I'll just hang here, wide open, until you get back, shall I?"**

" **Yeah, thanks!" Ron shouted over his shoulder.**

'James was like that all the time,' sniggered Remus. 'Always leaving it open when he went somewhere.'

" **Hermione, where are we going?" Harry asked, after she had led them down through six floors, and started down the marble staircase into the entrance hall.**

" **You'll see, you'll see in a minute!" said Hermione excitedly.**

'Oh, this is something to do with spew,' yawned Nott.

**She turned left at the bottom of the staircase and hurried toward the door through which Cedric Diggory had gone the night after the Goblet of Fire had regurgitated his and Harry's names. Harry had never been through here before. He and Ron followed Hermione down a flight of stone steps, but instead of ending up in a gloomy underground passage like the one that led to Snape's dungeon, they found themselves in a broad stone corridor, brightly lit with torches, and decorated with cheerful paintings that were mainly of food.**

Fred and George shot Hermione suspicious looks.

" **Oh hang on…" said Harry slowly, halfway down the corridor. "Wait a minute, Hermione…"**

" **What?" She turned around to look at him, anticipation all over her face.**

" **I know what this is about," said Harry.**

'Naturally,' Harry couldn't help but smirk. 'I find out just about everything in this school.'

**He nudged Ron and pointed to the painting just behind Hermione. It showed a gigantic silver fruit bowl.**

" **Hermione!" said Ron, cottoning on. "You're trying to rope us into that spew stuff again!"**

" **No, no, I'm not!" she said hastily. "And it's not _spew_ , Ron -"**

" **Changed the name, have you?" said Ron, frowning at her. "What are we now, then, the House-Elf Liberation Front?**

'And so the chapter is born, people!' Seamus announced to the Hall.

**I'm not barging into that kitchen**

'What've you got against barge boats, Ron?' Ginny couldn't help but ask, grinning at her brother.

**and trying to make them stop work, I'm not doing it -"**

" **I'm not asking you to!" Hermione said impatiently. "I came down here just now, to talk to them all, and I found - oh come _on_ , Harry, I want to show you!"**

**She seized his arm again, pulled him in front of the picture of the giant fruit bowl,**

'Always dragging me somewhere,' Harry muttered under his breath, shaking his head.

**stretched out her forefinger, and tickled the huge green pear. It began to squirm, chuckling, and suddenly turned into a large green door handle. Hermione seized it, pulled the door open, and pushed Harry hard in the back, forcing him inside.**

Again, Harry just shook his head.

**He had one brief glimpse of an enormous, high-ceilinged room, large as the Great Hall above it, with mounds of glittering brass pots and pans heaped around the stone walls, and a great brick fireplace at the other end, when something small hurtled toward him from the middle of the room, squealing, "Harry Potter, sir! _Harry Potter_!"**

'Let me guess... You-Know-Who?' Lee asked hopefully.

'Close, but no,' Harry chuckled.

**Next second all the wind had been knocked out of him as the squealing elf hit him hard in the midriff, hugging him so tightly he thought his ribs would break.**

" **D-Dobby?" Harry gasped.**

'Ah,' Lee nodded in understanding. 'Now I think about it, You-Know-Who wouldn't hug you.'

'No, he generally wouldn't,' Harry agreed dryly.

" **It _is_ Dobby, sir, it is!" squealed the voice from somewhere around his navel. "Dobby has been hoping and hoping to see Harry Potter, sir, and Harry Potter has come to see him, sir!"**

**Dobby let go and stepped back a few paces, beaming up at Harry, his enormous, green, tennis-ball-shaped eyes brimming with tears of happiness.**

A lot of the girls present in the Hall cooed softly.

**He looked almost exactly as Harry remembered him; the pencil-shaped nose, the batlike ears, the long fingers and feet - all except the clothes, which were very different.**

'This should be good,' Fred grinned.

**When Dobby had worked for the Malfoys, he had always worn the same filthy old pillowcase.**

Hermione looked like she wanted to say something to that, but she restrained herself.

**Now, however, he was wearing the strangest assortment of garments Harry had ever seen; he had done an even worse job of dressing himself than the wizards at the World Cup.**

'Even old Archie?' George asked in shock, fighting to keep his face straight.

'Even old Archie,' Ron confirmed, noticing Hermione fighting giggles at the memory.

**He was wearing a tea-cosy for a hat, on which he had pinned a number of bright badges; a tie patterned with horseshoes over a bare chest, a pair of what looked like children's football shorts, and odd socks. One of these, Harry saw, was the black one Harry had removed from his own foot and tricked Mr Malfoy into giving Dobby, thereby setting Dobby free. The other was covered in pink and orange stripes.**

'Ah, gotta love Dobby,' Fred grinned fondly.

" **Dobby, what're you doing here?" Harry said in amazement.**

" **Dobby has come to work at Hogwarts, sir!" Dobby squealed excitedly. "Professor Dumbledore gave Dobby and Winky jobs, sir!**

" **Winky?" said Harry. "She's here too?"**

" **Yes, sir, yes!" said Dobby, and he seized Harry's hand and pulled him off into the kitchen between the four long wooden tables that stood there.**

'Why do people keep dragging me everywhere?' Harry questioned under his breath, half annoyed, half amused.

**Each of these tables, Harry noticed as he passed them, was positioned exactly beneath the four House tables above, in the Great Hall. At the moment, they were clear of food, dinner having finished, but he supposed that an hour ago they had been laden with dishes that were then sent up through the ceiling to their counterparts above.**

**At least a hundred little elves were standing around the kitchen, beaming, bowing, and curtsying as Dobby led Harry past them. They were all wearing the same uniform: a tea towel stamped with the Hogwarts crest, and tied, as Winky's had been, like a toga.**

'It's a decent uniform, actually, as house-elf uniforms go,' Dean said thoughtfully, thinking back to what Dobby's previous outfit had been.

**Dobby stopped in front of the brick fireplace and pointed.**

" **Winky, sir!" he said.**

**Winky was sitting on a stool by the fire. Unlike Dobby, she had obviously not foraged for clothes. She was wearing a neat little skirt and blouse with a matching blue hat, which had holes in it for her large ears.**

Lavender and Parvati smiled.

**However, while every one of Dobby's strange collection of garments was so clean and well cared for that it looked brand-new, Winky was plainly not taking care other clothes at all. There were soup stains all down her blouse and a burn in her skirt.**

'She's depressed,' frowned Parvati, feeling sorry for the poor house-elf.

" **Hello, Winky," said Harry.**

**Winky's lip quivered. Then she burst into tears, which spilled out of her great brown eyes and splashed down her front, just as they had done at the Quidditch World Cup.**

Several people were looking sorry for Winky.

" **Oh dear," said Hermione. She and Ron had followed Harry and Dobby to the end of the kitchen. "Winky, don't cry, please don't…"**

**But Winky cried harder than ever. Dobby, on the other hand, beamed up at Harry.**

" **Would Harry Potter like a cup of tea?" he squeaked loudly, over Winky's sobs.**

" **Er - yeah, okay," said Harry.**

**Instantly, about six house-elves came trotting up behind him, bearing a large silver tray laden with a teapot, cups for Harry, Ron, and Hermione, a milk jug, and a large plate of biscuits.**

'Well, they're eager to please,' commented a Hufflepuff cautiously, aware of Hermione's feelings on the matter.

" **Good service!" Ron said, in an impressed voice.**

'Hermione won't appreciate that,' Ginny snickered.

**Hermione frowned at him, but the elves all looked delighted; they bowed very low and retreated.**

'You see, Hermione? The house-elves here are happy working,' said Ernie. 'They aren't mistreated in any way.'

'Indeed, Miss Granger,' said Dumbledore kindly, smiling into his beard and eyes twinkling. 'While house-elves are bound to serve us, we have a duty to treat them kindly, like equals. At Hogwarts, we make sure that happens.'

Hermione nodded slowly.

" **How long have you been here, Dobby?" Harry asked as Dobby handed around the tea.**

" **Only a week, Harry Potter, sir!" said Dobby happily. "Dobby came to see Professor Dumbledore, sir. You see, sir, it is very difficult for a house-elf who has been dismissed to get a new position, sir, very difficult indeed -"**

Hermione could be heard grumbling something about house-elves deserving rights.

**At this, Winky howled even harder, her squashed-tomato of a nose dribbling all down her front, though she made no effort to stem the flow.**

'You know it's bad when someone's given up,' Hannah murmured in sympathy.

" **Dobby has travelled the country for two whole years, sir, trying to find work!" Dobby squeaked. "But Dobby hasn't found work, sir, because Dobby wants paying now!"**

Hermione smiled. 'Good for him.'

**The house-elves all around the kitchen, who had been listening and watching with interest, all looked away at these words, as though Dobby had said something rude and embarrassing.**

'To them, it would be,' a pure-blood Ravenclaw nodded.

**Hermione, however, said, "Good for you, Dobby!"**

" **Thank you, miss!" said Dobby, grinning toothily at her. "But most wizards doesn't want a house-elf who wants paying, miss. 'That's not the point of a house-elf,' they says, and they slammed the door in Dobby's face!**

'A house-elf isn't just there to serve. A house-elf has a life of their own,' Hermione muttered.

**Dobby likes work,**

'How _anyone_ could like work is beyond me,' Ron muttered, shaking his head with bewilderment.

Hermione gave him a dirty look, 

**but he wants to wear clothes**

'Specifically, tea cozies,' Lee smirked.

**and he wants to be paid. Harry Potter…**

'In brand new tea cozies, that is. And socks.'

**Dobby likes being free!"**

'As he should,' Hermione nodded, smiling slightly.

**The Hogwarts house-elves had now started edging away from Dobby, as though he were carrying something contagious. Winky, however, remained where she was, though there was a definite increase in the volume of her crying.**

"They would," stated Daphne looking at Hermione, 

" **And then, Harry Potter, Dobby goes to visit Winky, and finds out Winky has been freed too, sir!" said Dobby delightedly.**

**At this, Winky flung herself forward off her stool and lay face-down on the flagged stone floor, beating her tiny fists upon it and positively screaming with misery.**

'You know, she must have really cared for Mr Crouch,' Luna commented thoughtfully. 'Sometimes freedom isn't the best thing after all.'

**Hermione hastily dropped down to her knees beside her and tried to comfort her, but nothing she said made the slightest difference. Dobby continued with his story, shouting shrilly over Winky's screeches.**

'He's persistent,' chuckled Ernie.

'And you didn't gather that from the second book?' Susan asked, raising an eyebrow.

" **And then Dobby had the idea, Harry Potter, sir!**

'I really do wish he'd stop calling me that,' Harry grumbled half-heartedly.

'Calling you what, Harry Potter, sir?' George asked, feigning innocence.

Harry sent him a mock glare in retaliation.

' **Why doesn't Dobby and Winky find work together?' Dobby says. 'Where is there enough work for two house elves?' says Winky. And Dobby thinks, and it comes to him, sir! _Hogwarts_! So Dobby and Winky came to see Professor Dumbledore, sir, and Professor Dumbledore took us on!"**

**Dobby beamed very brightly, and happy tears welled in his eyes again.**

'Aw,' cooed Lavender softly, smiling.

" **And Professor Dumbledore says he will pay Dobby, sir, if Dobby wants paying! And so Dobby is a free elf, sir, and Dobby gets a Galleon a week and one day off a month!"**

" **That's not very much!" Hermione shouted indignantly from the floor, over Winky's continued screaming and fist-beating.**

" **Professor Dumbledore offered Dobby ten Galleons a week, and weekends off," said Dobby,**

Harry had to admit, in the depths of his mind, that no matter how much he was irritated at Dumbledore for consistently ignoring him for whatever reason, the Headmaster was a good man.

**suddenly giving a little shiver, as though the prospect of so much leisure and riches were frightening, "but Dobby beat him down, miss…**

'I'd love to see that conversation between Dobby and Dumbledore,' Sirius snickered.

**Dobby likes freedom, miss, but he isn't wanting too much, miss, he likes work better."**

" **And how much is Professor Dumbledore paying you, Winky?" Hermione asked kindly.**

**If she had thought this would cheer up Winky, she was wildly mistaken.**

'Hermione? _Mistaken_?' Lee choked out.

**Winky did stop crying, but when she sat up she was glaring at Hermione through her massive brown eyes, her whole face sopping wet and suddenly furious.**

" **Winky is a disgraced elf, but Winky is not yet getting paid!" she squeaked. "Winky is not sunk so low as that! Winky is properly ashamed of being freed!"**

Many of the other muggle-borns and some of the half-bloods looked quite uncomfortable at that statement

" **Ashamed?" said Hermione blankly. "But - Winky, come on! It's Mr. Crouch who should be ashamed, not you! You didn't do anything wrong, he was really horrible to you -"**

**But at these words, Winky clapped her hands over the holes in her hat, flattening her ears so that she couldn't hear a word, and screeched, "You is not insulting my master, miss! You is not insulting Mr. Crouch! Mr. Crouch is a good wizard, miss! Mr. Crouch is right to sack bad Winky!"**

'Blind loyalty can be as dangerous at voluntary faith,' Mad-Eye muttered.

" **Winky is having trouble adjusting, Harry Potter," squeaked Dobby confidentially. "Winky forgets she is not bound to Mr. Crouch anymore; she is allowed to speak her mind now, but she won't do it."**

" **Can't house-elves speak their minds about their masters, then?" Harry asked.**

" **Oh no, sir, no," said Dobby, looking suddenly serious. "'Tis part of the house-elf's enslavement, sir.**

Hermione had her eyes narrowed, muttering under her breath all the while.

**We keep their secrets and our silence, sir. We uphold the family's honour,**

'The Malfoys have no honour,' Sirius muttered darkly. Glancing up at the high table, he vaguely wondered why Narcissa had married Lucius Malfoy in the first place. However in the last couple of days, he thought he could feel a rift appearing between, looking at Narcissa and then Andromeda, he couldn't help but wonder if they might still be a chance for them, 

**and we never speak ill of them - though Professor Dumbledore told Dobby he does not insist upon this. Professor Dumbledore said we is free to - to-"**

**Dobby looked suddenly nervous and beckoned Harry closer. Harry bent forward.**

**Dobby whispered, "He said we is free to call him a - a barmy old codger if we like, sir!"**

'Can we call you that, sir?' Fred asked, grinning widely.

'No, you can't,' McGonagall snapped immediately.

**Dobby gave a frightened sort of giggle.**

" **But Dobby is not wanting to, Harry Potter," he said, talking normally again, and shaking his head so that his ears flapped. "Dobby likes Professor Dumbledore very much, sir, and is proud to keep his secrets and our silence for him."**

" **But you can say what you like about the Malfoys now?" Harry asked him, grinning.**

Malfoy scowled darkly.

**A slightly fearful look came into Dobby's immense eyes.**

" **Dobby - Dobby could," he said doubtfully. He squared his small shoulders. "Dobby could tell Harry Potter that his old masters were - were - _bad Dark wizards_ '."**

'He's got that right,' George glowered darkly, sending both Malfoys a glare, Lucius Malfoy put his little sister through when she was eleven – well, responsible for, since he slipped her the diary.

Umbridge scoffed. The Malfoys were an old Pureblood family – respectable, influential, powerful, of proper wizarding pride and breeding. That house-elf was a _liar_.

It appeared that no one else shared her viewpoint, not even Fudge, who'd been having his doubts ever since the second book.

**Dobby stood for a moment, quivering all over, horror-struck by his own daring - then he rushed over to the nearest table and began banging his head on it very hard, squealing, " _Bad Dobby! Bad Dobby!_ "**

**Harry seized Dobby by the back of his tie and pulled him away from the table.**

'Good,' Susan nodded, smiling slightly at Harry.

" **Thank you. Harry Potter, thank you," said Dobby breathlessly, rubbing his head.**

" **You just need a bit of practice," Harry said.**

'We'll take up the honours of teaching dear Dobby to insult the Malfoys,' Fred smirked evilly in Malfoy's direction. Malfoy just glowered back at him.

" **Practice!" squealed Winky furiously. "You is ought to be ashamed of yourself, Dobby, talking that way about your masters!"**

" **They isn't my masters anymore, Winky!" said Dobby defiantly. "Dobby doesn't care what they think anymore!"**

'Woo! Go Dobby!' George cheered, whistling.

" **Oh you is a bad elf, Dobby!" moaned Winky, tears leaking down her face once more. "My poor Mr. Crouch, what is he doing without Winky? He is needing me, he is needing my help!**

Harry immediately glowered darkly as he thought about what Crouch had needed her for... the restraining of his own son, who was under the influence of the Imperius Curse...

**I is looking after the Crouches all my life, and my mother is doing it before me, and my grandmother is doing it before her… oh what is they saying if they knew Winky was freed? Oh the shame, the shame!" She buried her face in her skirt again and bawled.**

" **Winky," said Hermione firmly, "I'm quite sure Mr. Crouch is getting along perfectly well without you. We've seen him, you know -"**

" **You is seeing my master?" said Winky breathlessly, raising her tearstained face out of her skirt once more and goggling at Hermione. "You is seeing him here at Hogwarts?"**

" **Yes," said Hermione, "he and Mr. Bagman are judges in the Triwizard Tournament."**

" **Mr. Bagman comes too?" squeaked Winky, and to Harry's great surprise (and Ron's and Hermione's too, by the looks on their faces), she looked angry again. "Mr. Bagman is a bad wizard!**

'He isn't bad,' Harry murmured quietly. 'Not compared to some.'

**A very bad wizard! My master isn't liking him, oh no, not at all!"**

" **Bagman - bad?" said Harry.**

" **Oh yes," Winky said, nodding her head furiously, "My master is telling Winky some things! But Winky is not saying… Winky - Winky keeps her master's secrets…"**

Mad-Eye just shook his head, repeating his earlier comment about blind trust in his head.

**She dissolved yet again in tears; they could hear her sobbing into her skirt, "Poor master, poor master, no Winky to help him no more!"**

**They couldn't get another sensible word out of Winky. They left her to her crying and finished their tea, while Dobby chatted happily about his life as a free elf and his plans for his wages.**

" **Dobby is going to buy a sweater next, Harry Potter!" he said happily, pointing at his bare chest,**

Parvati and Lavender smiled. Dobby was just the sort of creature you wanted to take home with you, he was just so sweet.

" **Tell you what, Dobby," said Ron, who seemed to have taken a great liking to the elf,**

'He's brilliant,' Ron grinned. 'Even despite the little second year incidents.'

" **I'll give you the one my mum knits me this Christmas, I always get one from her. You don't mind maroon, do you?"**

**Dobby was delighted.**

" **We might have to shrink it a bit to fit you," Ron told him, "but it'll go well with your tea-cosy."**

**As they prepared to take their leave, many of the surrounding elves pressed in upon them, offering snacks to take back upstairs. Hermione refused, with a pained look at the way the elves kept bowing and curtsying, but Harry and Ron loaded their pockets with cream cakes and pies.**

'Of course,' Daphne said fondly, rolling her eyes. 'Boys and their stomachs.'

Harry turned to Hermione. 'You see? I do eat! I just don't put on any weight.'

'Just like his mother,' Sirius added, Remus, nodding in agreement. 'Lucky people, the two of them.'

" **Thanks a lot!" Harry said to the elves, who had all clustered around the door to say good night. "See you, Dobby!"**

" **Harry Potter… can Dobby come and see you sometimes, sir?" Dobby asked tentatively.**

A lot of the girls were smiling now.

"' **Course you can," said Harry, and Dobby beamed.**

" **You know what?" said Ron, once he, Hermione, and Harry had left the kitchens behind and were climbing the steps into the entrance hall again. "All these years I've been really impressed with Fred and George, nicking food from the kitchens -**

'Really?' Fred asked, looking at Ron with a raised eyebrow.

'We never heard that compliment before,' George smirked.

**well, it's not exactly difficult, is it? They can't wait to give it away!"**

" **I think this is the best thing that could have happened to those elves, you know," said Hermione, leading the way back up the marble staircase. "Dobby coming to work here, I mean. The other elves will see how happy he is, being free, and slowly it'll dawn on them that they want that too!"**

'No, Hermione, it won't,' Ernie disagreed, shaking his head. 'The house-elves are happy working here – they're treated kindly and fairly – and that makes quite the difference. Do you see them being mistreated?'

'Wow, Ernie,' Susan said with an air of surprise. 'That's uncommonly wise of you.'

" **Let's hope they don't look too closely at Winky," said Harry.**

" **Oh she'll cheer up," said Hermione, though she sounded a bit doubtful. "Once the shock's worn off, and she's got used to Hogwarts, she'll see how much better off she is without that Crouch man."**

" **She seems to love him," said Ron thickly (he had just started on a cream cake).**

'Typical,' Fred snorted. 'Always eating, aren't we Ronniekins?'

Ron ignored him.

" **Doesn't think much of Bagman, though, does she?" said Harry. "Wonder what Crouch says at home about him?"**

" **Probably says he's not a very good Head of Department," said Hermione, "and let's face it… he's got a point, hasn't he?"**

" **I'd still rather work for him than old Crouch," said Ron. "At least Bagman's got a sense of humour."**

'And he's a brilliant Quidditch player,' Oliver added, as though it was of the utmost importance.

" **Don't let Percy hear you saying that," Hermione said, smiling slightly.**

" **Yeah, well, Percy wouldn't want to work for anyone with a sense of humour, would he?" said Ron, now starting on a chocolate éclair.**

'Enjoying our cakes, are we Ron?' Ginny asked, giggling slightly.

" **Percy wouldn't recognize a joke if it danced naked in front of him wearing Dobby's tea-cosy."**

The twins began snickering loudly at the expense of Percy again, and Percy blushed red.

'And so we've reached the end of the chapter,' said Dumbledore serenely, looking up from the book. 'Any volunteers to read the next chapter?'

'I will, Albus,' said Sprout, and Dumbledore handed her the book. Sprout turned the page to the next chapter.


	27. The Unexpected Task

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys I have 3 more chapters completed, here is the first of them  
> Also I know there is some confusion about when the reading takes place, its just after they came back from Christmas 
> 
> Hope you enjoy the chapter I will publish the other two in good time

'The Unexpected Task,' Sprout read out.

Quite a few people realised what it was and groaned loudly, Harry and Ron included.

" **Potter! Weasley! _Will you pay attention_?"**

McGonagall sent Harry and Ron a stern look, which they conveniently missed because they were talking.

**Professor McGonagall's irritated voice cracked like a whip through the Transfiguration class on Thursday, and Harry and Ron both jumped and looked up.**

'We know the feeling,' said Fred sympathetically, gesturing at himself, his twin and Lee, both of whom nodded in agreement.

Hermione and Daphne just shook their heads, 

**It was the end of the lesson;**

'Woo!' shouted George, grinning.

**they had finished their work;**

'For the first time ever,' Hermione smirked.

**the guinea fowl they had been changing into guinea pigs had been shut away in a large cage on Professor McGonagall's desk (Neville's still had feathers); they had copied down their homework from the blackboard ("Describe, with examples, the ways in which Transforming Spells must be adapted when performing Cross-Species Switches").**

Sirius groaned, "I remember that essay, it was awful," much to the amusement of the Gryffindors

McGonagall didn't bothering telling him off, 

**The bell was due to ring at any moment, and Harry and Ron, who had been having a sword fight with a couple of Fred and George's fake wands at the back of the class,**

'Which was immensely fun,' Ron grinned as he remembered doing that.

**looked up, Ron holding a tin parrot and Harry, a rubber haddock.**

" **Now that Potter and Weasley have been kind enough to act their age," said Professor McGonagall,**

Harry and Ron blushed, 

**with an angry look at the pair of them as the head of Harry's haddock drooped and fell silently to the floor - Ron's parrot's beak had severed it moments before - "I have something to say to you all.**

" **The Yule Ball is approaching -**

Many boys groaned again. The Yule Ball had been more trouble that it was worth, in their opinion.

**a traditional part of the Triwizard Tournament and an opportunity for us to socialise with our foreign guests.**

' _Socialise_ ,' snickered Fred with a look at Hermione, who ignored him. Ron caught the look and scowled.

**Now, the ball will be open only to fourth years and above - although you may invite a younger student if you wish -"**

**Lavender Brown let out a shrill giggle.**

Lavender blushed a pale pink.

**Parvati Patil nudged her hard in the ribs, her face working furiously as she too fought not to giggle. They both looked around at Harry.**

Harry turned an impressive shade of red, 

Daphne had to work hard not to glare at both girls, 

**Professor McGonagall ignored them, which Harry thought was distinctly unfair, as she had just told off him and Ron.**

"Apologies, Mr Potter" said McGonagall realising he was right, 

" **Dress robes will be worn," Professor McGonagall continued,**

A few people who had gone to the Ball looked at Ron, eyebrows raised. Ron's ears went red at the memory of the dress robes from hell.

" **and the ball will start at eight o'clock on Christmas Day, finishing at midnight in the Great Hall. Now then -"**

**Professor McGonagall stared deliberately around the class.**

" **The Yule Ball is of course a chance for us all to - er - let our hair down," she said, in a disapproving voice.**

'That coming from a Gryffindor,' Snape muttered under his breath.

**Lavender giggled harder than ever, with her hand pressed hard against her mouth to stifle the sound. Harry could see what was funny this time: Professor McGonagall, with her hair in a tight bun, looked as though she had never let her hair down in any sense.**

'Oh, she has,' said Dumbledore cheerfully, ignoring the glare that McGonagall was sending him. 'I remember back when you were a student, Minerva. You were always followed by that charming Ravenclaw fellow, particularly on the days where your hair was down.'

'I felt no attraction towards him,' said McGonagall stiffly, mentally sighing as she remembered the Muggle man who had once owned her heart for years. Only when he had died, had she allowed herself to finally accept that she loved another, and accept Elphinstone Urquart's proposal. Even that hadn't lasted long enough... before he, too, died, leaving her alone... Not a single day passed where she didn't think of them, the two whom she had loved dearly, and the two she had lost.

" **But that does NOT mean," Professor McGonagall went on, "that we will be relaxing the standards of behaviour we expect from Hogwarts students. I will be most seriously displeased if a Gryffindor student embarrasses the school in any way."**

Molly looked at the twins,

"We didn't do anything," they said indignantly 

**The bell rang, and there was the usual scuffle of activity as everyone packed their bags and swung them onto their shoulders.**

**Professor McGonagall called above the noise, "Potter - a word, if you please."**

**Assuming this had something to do with his headless rubber haddock,**

The twins and Lee snickered loudly again.

**Harry proceeded gloomily to the teacher's desk. Professor McGonagall waited until the rest of the class had gone, and then said, "Potter, the champions and their partners -"**

" **What partners?" said Harry.**

**Profesor McGonagall looked suspiciously at him, as though she thought he was trying to be funny.**

'I did suspect that,' McGonagall admitted. 'It's the sort of thing his father and godfather would say.' She sent a glare at Sirius for emphasis, who was putting on an innocent expression.

" **Your partners for the Yule Ball, Potter," she said coldly. "Your _dance partners_."**

**Harry's insides seemed to curl up and shrivel.**

'Shrivel up and die,' George finished dramatically, nodding solemnly.

" **Dance partners?" He felt himself going red. "I don't dance," he said quickly.**

'Somehow, I don't think she'll like that answer,' Sirius chuckled.

" **Oh yes, you do," said Professor McGonagall irritably.**

'See what I mean?'

" **That's what I'm telling you. Traditionally, the champions and their partners open the ball."**

**Harry had a sudden mental image of himself in a top hat and tails, accompanied by a girl in the sort of frilly dress Aunt Petunia always wore to Uncle Vernon's work parties.**

'Like the one Parkinson wore?' Hermione giggled. Harry just looked revolted.

" **I'm not dancing," he said.**

'Ooh, I _love_ arguments!' Lee squealed in mock happiness.

" **It is traditional," said Professor McGonagall firmly.**

'So are a lot of things, like nailing the heads of house-elves to walls,' Harry grumbled quietly. 'Doesn't mean it's good just because it's tradition.'

" **You are a Hogwarts champion, and you will do what is expected of you as a representative of the school. So make sure you get yourself a partner, Potter."**

" **But-I don't-"**

" **You heard me, Potter," said Professor McGonagall in a very final sort of way.**

**A week ago Harry would have said finding a partner for a dance would be a cinch compared to taking on a Hungarian Horntail. But now that he had done the latter, and was facing the prospect of asking a girl to the ball, he thought he'd rather have another round with the dragon.**

'I still think that, actually. I _hate_ dancing,' Harry grimaced.

'But balls are so romantic!' squealed a Hufflepuff girl with blonde hair, getting a dreamy look in her eyes. 'Especially when at Christmas.'

Many of the girls murmured in agreement,

Dumbledore's eyes sparkled, "Maybe we can arrange something," 

The boys all looked terrified, 

**Harry had never known so many people to put their names down to stay at Hogwarts for Christmas; he always did, of course, because the alternative was usually going back to Privet Drive,**

'Barrels of fun, that place,' George grumbled, 

**but he had always been very much in the minority before now. This year, however, everyone in the fourth year and above seemed to be staying, and they all seemed to Harry to be obsessed with the coming ball - or at least all the girls were,**

'Girls always are,' Sirius nodded in what he clearly thought was a wise way.

**and it was amazing how many girls Hogwarts suddenly seemed to hold; he had never quite noticed that before. Girls giggling and whispering in the corridors, girls shrieking with laughter as boys passed them, girls excitedly comparing notes on what they were going to wear on Christmas night…**

'They're always like that. Spending weeks planning ahead about their outfits, and then spending like three hours getting ready.'

'Lily didn't,' Remus reminded Sirius.

'Yeah, well, that was Lily. She didn't need to make herself look pretty, because she was naturally beautiful,' Sirius shrugged, a small smile forming on his face at some long kept memory. 'She hated anything like balls and formal parties.'

'Unlike James,' Remus chuckled. 'Always going out of his way to make himself the centre of attention. Just like you.'

Sirius puffed his chest out with self-importance.

Harry grinned, "He loved hearing about his parents," 

" **Why do they have to move in packs?" Harry asked Ron as a dozen or so girls walked past them, sniggering and staring at Harry. "How're you supposed to get one on their own to ask them?"**

'I managed it,' Sirius shrugged.

'You would,' Harry muttered under his breath.

" **Lasso one?" Ron suggested. "Got any idea who you're going to try?"**

**Harry didn't answer. He knew perfectly well whom he'd like to ask, but working up the nerve was something else…**

'Having the nerve to take on a fully grown basilisk, age twelve, sure, no problem. Asking out a girl, on the other hand...' snickered Fred.

**Cho was a year older than he was; she was very pretty; she was a very good Quidditch player, and she was also very popular.**

'Thanks,' Cho smiled sweetly at Harry, flicking her hair back. Daphne, noticed the flirtatious side to the smile, and she sent Cho a warning glare.

**Ron seemed to know what was going on inside Harry's head.**

" **Listen, you're not going to have any trouble. You're a champion. You've just beaten a Hungarian Horntail.**

'Plus you aren't bad looking,' giggled a third year Ravenclaw, blushing as she spoke.

Harry had no reply for her, 

Daphne would never normally describe herself as the type to get jealous, however watching many of the girls look at Harry she couldn't help but feel a bit possesive, 

**I bet they'll be queuing up to go with you."**

**In tribute to their recently repaired friendship, Ron had kept the bitterness in his voice to a bare minimum. Moreover, to Harry's amazement, he turned out to be quite right.**

**A curly-haired third-year Hufflepuff girl to whom Harry had never spoken in his life asked him to go to the ball with her the very next day. Harry was so taken aback he said no before he'd even stopped to consider the matter. The girl walked off looking rather hurt,**

'Sorry about that,' Harry apologised sheepishly to the girl.

'It's fine,' the girl smiled shyly in his direction.

**and Harry had to endure Dean's, Seamus's, and Ron's taunts about her all through History of Magic. The following day, two more girls asked him, a second year**

The now-third year blushed and grinned.

**and (to his horror) a fifth year who looked as though she might knock him out if he refused.**

" **She was quite good-looking," said Ron fairly, after he'd stopped laughing.**

" **She was a foot taller than me," said Harry, still unnerved. "Imagine what I'd look like trying to dance with her."**

**Hermione's words about Krum kept coming back to him. _They only like him because he's famous_! Harry doubted very much if any of the girls who had asked to be his partner so far would have wanted to go to the ball with him if he hadn't been a school champion.**

'Even if you hadn't been a school champion, they would have asked you anyway because you're already famous,' said Hermione matter-of-factly.

'Don't I know it,' Harry grumbled quietly.

**Then he wondered if this would bother him if Cho asked him.**

**On the whole, Harry had to admit that even with the embarrassing prospect of opening the ball before him, life had definitely improved since he had got through the first task. He wasn't attracting nearly as much unpleasantness in the corridors anymore, which he suspected had a lot to do with Cedric - he had an idea Cedric might have told the Hufflepuffs to leave Harry alone, in gratitude for Harry's tip-off about the dragons.**

'He did,' Hannah confirmed, looking uncomfortable again.

'He told us to leave off you _or else_ ,' Ernie grinned slightly.

**There seemed to be fewer Support Cedric Diggory! badges around too. Draco Malfoy, of course, was still quoting Rita Skeeter's article to him at every possible opportunity,**

' _So_ last year,' Seamus snorted, waving a hand.

Narcissa meanwhile once again frowned at her son, 

**but he was getting fewer and fewer laughs out of it -**

'You're not funny!' called out George.

**and just to heighten Harry's feeling of well-being, no story about Hagrid had appeared in the _Daily Prophet_.**

" **She didn' seem very int'rested in magical creatures, ter tell yeh the truth," Hagrid said, when Harry, Ron, and Hermione asked him how his interview with Rita Skeeter had gone during the last Care of Magical Creatures lesson of the term. To their very great relief, Hagrid had given up on direct contact with the skrewts now,**

'Thank God,' Dean sighed with relief.

**and they were merely sheltering behind his cabin today, sitting at a trestle table and preparing a fresh selection of food with which to tempt the skrewts.**

" **She jus' wanted me ter talk about you, Harry," Hagrid continued in a low voice.**

'Everyone wants to talk about Harry, though,' Justin shrugged.

" **Well, I told her we'd been friends since I went ter fetch yeh from the Dursleys. 'Never had to tell him off in four years?' she said.**

'Of course not!' George gasped in a high pitched voice.

'What do you take him for? Some sort of rule-breaking daredevil?' Fred questioned.

'Honestly...' Lee shook his head slowly.

The teachers just shook their heads, 

' **Never played you up in lessons, has he?'**

'Only in my lessons,' Snape muttered quietly,

Not quietly enough though as McGonagall shot him a filthy look.

**I told her no, an she didn' seem happy at all. Yeh'd think she wanted me to say yeh were horrible, Harry."**

'Which he is,' Umbridge murmured under her breath. Fudge still heard her, and he shot her a stern look to silence her.

"' **Course she did," said Harry, throwing lumps of dragon liver into a large metal bowl and picking up his knife to cut some more. "She can't keep writing about what a tragic little hero I am, it'll get boring."**

'And we wouldn't want that, would we?' Ron grimaced.

" **She wants a new angle, Hagrid," said Ron wisely as he shelled salamander eggs. "You were supposed to say Harry's a mad delinquent!"**

" **But he's not!" said Hagrid, looking genuinely shocked.**

Many people murmured and nodded in agreement with Hagrid, much to Umbridge's immense displeasure.

" **She should've interviewed Snape," said Harry grimly. "He'd give her the goods on me any day. _Potter has been crossing lines ever since he first arrived at this schoo_ l…"**

'I don't cross lines,' Harry couldn't help but grin. 'I make my own.'

" **Said that, did he?" said Hagrid, while Ron and Hermione laughed. "Well, yeh might've bent a few rules, Harry,**

'Oh, it's all been for good causes, really,' Harry shrugged.

**bu' yeh're all righ' really, aren' you?"**

'He's my best mate,' grinned Ron, reaching around Daphne to clap Harry on the shoulder.

'He's always been there for me,' Hermione smiled.

'He's far too selfless to even _consider_ thinking about himself,' George shook his head.

'If danger calls, he jumps into the heart of the flame and fights his way out,' Fred grinned widely.

'The sweetest person I know,' Daphne murmured, wrapping her arms around Harry's neck and resting her chin on his shoulder. Over his shoulder, she saw Cho openly glaring at her, and she gave an innocent, angelic smile in Cho's general direction.

However in the back of her mind, Daphne still worried, worried for Harry's safety, 

" **Cheers, Hagrid," said Harry, grinning.**

" **You coming to this ball thing on Christmas Day, Hagrid?" said Ron.**

" **Though' I might look in on it, yeah," said Hagrid gruffly. "Should be a good do, I reckon. You'll be openin the dancin', won yeh, Harry? Who're you takin'?"**

" **No one, yet," said Harry, feeling himself going red again. Hagrid didn't pursue the subject.**

**The last week of term became increasingly boisterous as it progressed. Rumours about the Yule Ball were flying everywhere, though Harry didn't believe half of them - for instance, that Dumbledore had bought eight hundred barrels of mulled mead from Madam Rosmerta.**

'That wasn't true, no,' Dumbledore chuckled.

'You still should have done it anyway,' Sirius smirked.

'And watch a load of kids get trolleyed?' Remus asked, raising an eyebrow.

'No, no, no!' Sirius objected for a moment, before replacing the smirk again. 'I'd watch them get trousered.'

'Everyone knows that we get gazebo'd around here, Sirius,' snickered Fred.

**It seemed to be fact, however, that he had booked the Weird Sisters.**

A few fangirls in the hall shrieked with excitement.

**Exactly who or what the Weird Sisters were Harry didn't know, never having had access to a wizard's wireless, but he deduced from the wild excitement of those who had grown up listening to the WWN (Wizarding Wireless Network) that they were a very famous musical group.**

'The Weird Sisters are cool, but I prefer Green Day,' said a Muggle-born Gryffindor, shrugging.

**Some of the teachers, like little Professor Flitwick, gave up trying to teach them much when their minds were so clearly elsewhere;**

A few students cheered for Flitwick, who blushed yet smiled nonetheless.

**he allowed them to play games in his lesson on Wednesday,**

'Only you, Filius,' laughed Sinistra.

**and spent most of it talking to Harry about the perfect Summoning Charm Harry had used during the first task of the Triwizard Tournament.**

'I was most impressed with him,' Flitwick smiled. 'Just like his mother.'

**Other teachers were not so generous. Nothing would ever deflect Professor Binns, for example, from plowing on through his notes on goblin rebellions - as Binns hadn't let his own death stand in the way of continuing to teach, they supposed a small thing like Christmas wasn't going to put him off.**

'Meh, we didn't listen anyway,' shrugged Seamus nonchalantly.

**It was amazing how he could make even bloody and vicious goblin riots sound as boring as Percy's cauldron-bottom report.**

Percy blushed again.

**Professors McGonagall and Moody kept them working until the very last second of their classes too, and Snape, of course, would no sooner let them play games in class than adopt Harry. Staring nastily around at them all, he informed them that he would be testing them on poison antidotes during the last lesson of the term.**

" **Evil, he is," Ron said bitterly that night in the Gryffindor common room. "Springing a test on us on the last day. Ruining the last bit of term with a whole load of studying."**

'Yeah, well, he's a git,' shrugged Terry.

" **Mmm… you're not exactly straining yourself, though, are you?" said Hermione, looking at him over the top of her Potions notes. Ron was busy building a card castle out of his Exploding Snap pack -**

'Nice to know you're studying hard, Ron,' Remus chuckled.

Ron avoided looking at his parents, 

**a much more interesting pastime than with Muggle cards, because of the chance that the whole thing would blow up at any second.**

" **It's Christmas, Hermione," said Harry lazily;**

'Okay, that's definitely James,' snickered Sirius.

Snape just sneered softly, 

**he was rereading _Flying with the Cannons_ for the tenth time in an armchair near the fire. Hermione looked severely over at him too.**

" **I'd have thought you'd be doing something constructive, Harry, even if you don't want to learn your antidotes!"**

" **Like what?" Harry said as he watched Joey Jenkins of the Cannons belt a Bludger toward a Ballycastle Bats Chaser.**

" **That egg!" Hermione hissed.**

" **Come on, Hermione, I've got till February the twenty-fourth," Harry said.**

'Procrastination gets you nowhere,' said Luna brightly.

**He had put the golden egg upstairs in his trunk and hadn't opened it since the celebration party after the first task. There were still two and a half months to go until he needed to know what all the screechy wailing meant, after all.**

" **But it might take weeks to work it out!" said Hermione. "You're going to look a real idiot if everyone else knows what the next task is and you don't!"**

'He'd find a way to do it, anyway,' Anthony said dismissively, waving a hand impatiently.

" **Leave him alone, Hermione, he's earned a bit of a break," said Ron, and he placed the last two cards on top of the castle and the whole lot blew up, singeing his eyebrows.**

" **Nice look Ron… go well with your dress robes, that will."**

**It was Fred and George.**

'Enter the extremely good-looking twins,' Fred smirked.

**They sat down at the table with Harry, Ron, and Hermione as Ron felt how much damage had been done.**

" **Ron, can we borrow Pigwidgeon?" George asked.**

" **No, he's off delivering a letter," said Ron. "Why?"**

" **Because George wants to invite him to the ball," said Fred sarcastically.**

'I think you should do,' Luna sighed dreamily, smiling.

" **Because we want to send a letter, you stupid great prat," said George.**

" **Who d'you two keep writing to, eh?" said Ron.**

'Nosy, aren't we?' Sirius sniggered.

'And you weren't?' Remus countered, raising an eyebrow.

" **Nose out, Ron, or I'll burn that for you too," said Fred, waving his wand threateningly. "So… you lot got dates for the ball yet?"**

" **Nope," said Ron.**

" **Well, you'd better hurry up, mate, or all the good ones will be gone," said Fred.**

" **Who're you going with, then?" said Ron.**

" **Angelina," said Fred promptly, without a trace of embarrassment.**

" **What?" said Ron, taken aback. "You've already asked her?"**

" **Good point," said Fred. He turned his head and called across the common room, "Oi! Angelina!"**

The Hall couldn't help but snicker.

**Angelina, who had been chatting with Alicia Spinnet near the fire, looked over at him.**

" **What?" she called back.**

" **Want to come to the ball with me?"**

**Angelina gave Fred an appraising sort of look.**

" **All right, then," she said, and she turned back to Alicia and carried on chatting with a bit of a grin on her face.**

George and Angelina locked eyes for the briefest of moments, yet that brief moment seemed, to them, to be an entire eternity. Then, the moment was over, and their gazes broke apart once again.

" **There you go," said Fred to Harry and Ron, "piece of cake."**

**He got to his feet, yawning, and said, "We'd better use a school owl then, George, come on…"**

**They left. Ron stopped feeling his eyebrows and looked across the smouldering wreck of his card castle at Harry.**

" **We should get a move on, you know… ask someone. He's right. We don't want to end up with a pair of trolls."**

**Hermione let out a sputter of indignation.**

'I didn't mean you,' said Ron quietly, his ears going red.

" **A pair of… what, excuse me?"**

" **Well - you know," said Ron, shrugging. "I'd rather go alone than with – with Eloise Midgen, say."**

Ron looked extremely sheepish and avoided Eloise's eyes.

" **Her acne's loads better lately - and she's really nice!"**

'Thanks,' Eloise smiled, although it was forced to an extent.

" **Her nose is off-center," said Ron.**

" **Oh I see," Hermione said, bristling. "So basically, you're going to take the best looking girl who'll have you, even if she's completely horrible?"**

" **Er - yeah, that sounds about right," said Ron.**

'Looks aren't everything, though,' Luna frowned. 'It doesn't matter if they're pretty on the outside. It's what's on the inside that counts the most.'

'I have to agree with you,' Hermione nodded, sending Luna a small smile.

" **I'm going to bed," Hermione snapped, and she swept off toward the girls' staircase without another word.**

**The Hogwarts staff, demonstrating a continued desire to impress the visitors from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang, seemed determined to show the castle at its best this Christmas. When the decorations went up. Harry noticed that they were the most stunning he had yet seen inside the school. Everlasting icicles had been attached to the banisters of the marble staircase;**

'Odd. They never trusted us around icicles,' Sirius frowned.

'I wonder why,' Tonks grinned brightly.

**the usual twelve Christmas trees in the Great Hall were bedecked with everything from luminous holly berries to real, hooting, golden owls, and the suits of armour had all been bewitched to sing carols whenever anyone passed them. It was quite something to hear "O Come, All Ye Faithful" sung by an empty helmet that only knew half the words.**

'God Rest Ye Merry Hippogriffs,' Sirius sang quietly, snickering when Remus shoved his hands over his ears in annoyance.

**Several times, Filch the caretaker had to extract Peeves from inside the armour, where he had taken to hiding, filling in the gaps in the songs with lyrics of his own invention, all of which were very rude.**

'Ah, Peeves,' George sighed with fondness.

'What would we do without you?' Lee grinned.

**And still Harry hadn't asked Cho to the ball. He and Ron were getting very nervous now, though as Harry pointed out, Ron would look much less stupid than he would without a partner; Harry was supposed to be starting the dancing with the other champions.**

" **I suppose there's always Moaning Myrtle," he said gloomily, referring to the ghost who haunted the girls' toilets on the second floor.**

" **Harry - we've just got to grit our teeth and do it," said Ron on Friday morning, in a tone that suggested they were planning the storming of an impregnable fortress.**

'Near enough, mate,' Ron shook his head.

" **When we get back to the common room tonight, we'll both have partners - agreed?"**

" **Er… okay," said Harry.**

**But every time he glimpsed Cho that day - during break, and then lunchtime, and once on the way to History of Magic - she was surrounded by friends. Didn't she _ever_ go anywhere alone? Could he perhaps ambush her as she was going into a bathroom? But no - she even seemed to go there with an escort of four or five girls. Yet if he didn't do it soon, she was bound to have been asked by somebody else.**

Cho couldn't help but look down as she remembered Cedric again.

**He found it hard to concentrate on Snape's Potions test, and consequently forgot to add the key ingredient - a bezoar - meaning that he received bottom marks.**

'Like I care. He'd have done that, anyway,' Harry shrugged, not caring.

**He didn't care, though; he was too busy screwing up his courage for what he was about to do. When the bell rang, he grabbed his bag, and hurried to the dungeon door.**

" **I'll meet you at dinner," he said to Ron and Hermione, and he dashed off upstairs.**

**He'd just have to ask Cho for a private word, that was all… He hurried off through the packed corridors looking for her, and (rather sooner than he had expected) he found her, emerging from a Defence Against the Dark Arts lesson.**

" **Er - Cho? Could I have a word with you?"**

**Giggling should be made illegal, Harry thought furiously,**

'It really should be,' Dean nodded in agreement.

**as all the girls around Cho started doing it. She didn't, though. She said, "Okay," and followed him out of earshot other classmates.**

**Harry turned to look at her and his stomach gave a weird lurch as though he had missed a step going downstairs.**

" **Er," he said.**

**He couldn't ask her. He couldn't. But he had to. Cho stood there looking puzzled, watching him. The words came out before Harry had quite got his tongue around them.**

" **Wangoballwime?"**

'Erm... what?' Sirius asked, raising an eyebrow. 'Harry, that is _not_ how you ask someone to a ball!'

'Just because you're an expert at it,' Remus muttered. Sirius ignored him.

'Yeah, well, you just stick to your area of expertise, which happens to be girls, and I'll stick to mine, which is saving the world,' Harry said, rolling his eyes.

" **Sorry?" said Cho.**

" **D'you - d'you want to go to the ball with me?" said Harry. Why did he have to go red now? _Why_?**

'N'aww!' Sirius started to coo, but he broke off when he saw the death glare Harry was sending him. He leaned across the table to mutter in Remus's ear. 'Like Lily much?'

" **Oh!" said Cho, and she went red too. "Oh Harry, I'm really sorry," and she truly looked it. "I've already said I'll go with someone else."**

Cho looked down. She truly had felt horrible in that moment, having to turn him down...

" **Oh," said Harry.**

**It was odd; a moment before his insides had been writhing like snakes, but suddenly he didn't seem to have any insides at all.**

'You should have someone check that out, Harry,' Luna frowned.

" **Oh, okay," he said, "no problem."**

" **I'm really sorry," she said again.**

" **That's okay," said Harry.**

**They stood there looking at each other, and then Cho said, "Well-"**

" **Yeah," said Harry.**

" **Well, 'bye," said Cho, still very red. She walked away.**

**Harry called after her, before he could stop himself.**

" **Who're you going with?"**

" **Oh - Cedric," she said. "Cedric Diggory."**

Cho sighed as she remembered the Yule Ball and dancing with Cedric.

" **Oh right," said Harry.**

**His insides had come back again. It felt as though they had been filled with lead in their absence.**

**Completely forgetting about dinner,**

Madam Pomfrey tutted under her breath, and Sirius looked scandalised.

**he walked slowly back up to Gryffindor Tower, Cho's voice echoing in his ears with every step he took. " _Cedric – Cedric Diggory_." He had been starting to quite like Cedric - prepared to overlook the fact that he had once beaten him at Quidditch,**

'He only beat us at Quidditch because the dementors made you pass out whilst in the air,' Fred felt the need to point out.

**and was handsome, and popular, and nearly everyone's favourite champion.**

'That wasn't true, you know,' Parvati smiled in reassurance. 'A lot of people liked you.'

**Now he suddenly realized that Cedric was in fact a useless pretty boy who didn't have enough brains to fill an eggcup.**

Harry winced.

" **Fairy lights," he said dully to the Fat Lady - the password had been changed the previous day.**

" **Yes, indeed, dear!" she trilled, straightening her new tinsel hair band as she swung forward to admit him.**

**Entering the common room, Harry looked around, and to his surprise he saw Ron sitting ashen-faced in a distant corner.**

'What did you do?' Tonks asked curiously, fighting a smile.

**Ginny was sitting with him, talking to him in what seemed to be a low, soothing voice.**

" **What's up, Ron?" said Harry, joining them.**

**Ron looked up at Harry, a sort of blind horror in his face.**

'So... something bad happened, then?' Justin guessed.

'You could say that,' Ron nodded in agreement.

" **Why did I do it?" he said wildly. "I don't know what made me do it!"**

" **What?" said Harry.**

" **He - er - just asked Fleur Delacour to go to the ball with him," said Ginny.**

'Oh,' was all Justin said.

**She looked as though she was fighting back a smile, but she kept patting Ron's arm sympathetically.**

" **You _what_?' said Harry.**

" **I don't know what made me do it!" Ron gasped again. "What was I playing at? There were people - all around - I've gone mad - everyone watching! I was just walking past her in the entrance hall - she was standing there talking to Diggory - and it sort of came over me - and I asked her!"**

'Veela charm,' Hermione muttered.

**Ron moaned and put his face in his hands. He kept talking, though the words were barely distinguishable.**

" **She looked at me like I was a sea slug or something. Didn't even answer. And then - I dunno - I just sort of came to my senses and ran for it."**

" **She's part veela," said Harry. "You were right - her grandmother was one. It wasn't your fault, I bet you just walked past when she was turning on the old charm for Diggory and got a blast of it**

'I don't need to be part veela to turn on that old charm,' Sirius grinned.

'You just keep believing that, Padfoot,' Remus nodded, reaching across the table to pat his arm.

**\- but she was wasting her time. He's going with Cho Chang."**

**Ron looked up.**

" **I asked her to go with me just now," Harry said dully, "and she told me."**

**Ginny had suddenly stopped smiling.**

'If I had known you hadn't got a date for the ball, and if I had actually been able to speak in front of you, then I probably would have asked you,' Ginny muttered.

" **This is mad," said Ron. "We're the only ones left who haven't got anyone - well, except Neville. Hey - guess who he asked? _Hermione_!"**

" ** _What_?" said Harry, completely distracted by this startling news.**

" **Yeah, I know!" said Ron, some of the colour coming back into his face as he started to laugh. "He told me after Potions! Said she's always been really nice, helping him out with work and stuff - but she told him she was already going with someone. Ha! As if! She just didn't want to go with Neville… I mean, who would?"**

Ron winced again as Hermione glared at him. 'Sorry, Neville,' he apologised sheepishly.

Neville just waved the apology off.

" **Don't!" said Ginny, annoyed. "Don't laugh -"**

**Just then Hermione climbed in through the portrait hole.**

" **Why weren't you two at dinner?" she said, coming over to join them.**

" **Because - oh shut up laughing, you two - because they've both just been turned down by girls they asked to the ball!" said Ginny.**

**That shut Harry and Ron up.**

'Of course it would,' Dean snickered.

" **Thanks a bunch, Ginny," said Ron sourly.**

" **All the good-looking ones taken, Ron?" said Hermione loftily. "Eloise Midgen starting to look quite pretty now, is she? Well, I'm sure you'll find someone _somewhere_ who'll have you."**

**But Ron was staring at Hermione as though suddenly seeing her in a whole new light.**

Ron just sighed mentally.

" **Hermione, Neville's right - you _are_ a girl…"**

'Ooh, wrong thing to say,' Sirius winced in sympathy.

" **Oh, well spotted," she said acidly.**

A few people snickered.

'Viktor spotted,' George winked.

Both Viktor and Hermione blushed, 

" **Well - you can come with one of us!"**

" **No, I can't," snapped Hermione.**

" **Oh come on," he said impatiently, "we need partners, we're going to look really stupid if we haven't got any, everyone else has…"**

" **I can't come with you," said Hermione, now blushing, "because I'm already going with someone."**

" **No, you're not!" said Ron.**

'Another bad thing to say,' said Sirius.

" **You just said that to get rid of Neville!"**

" **Oh _did_ I?" said Hermione, and her eyes flashed dangerously. "Just because it's taken _you_ three years to notice, Ron, doesn't mean no one _else_ has spotted I'm a girl!"**

'It didn't take Viktor long to notice at all,' Fred snickered.

Hermione glared at him, 

**Ron stared at her. Then he grinned again.**

" **Okay, okay, we know you're a girl," he said. "That do? Will you come now?"**

" **I've already told you!" Hermione said very angrily. "I'm going with someone else!"**

'Did you not think that someone else would ask me?' Hermione asked quietly, looking at Ron. 'That they wouldn't want to ask me?'

Ron didn't have an answer for her.

**And she stormed off toward the girls' dormitories again.**

" **She's lying," said Ron flatly, watching her go.**

" **She's not," said Ginny quietly.**

" **Who is it then?" said Ron sharply.**

" **I'm not telling you, it's her business," said Ginny.**

'Thanks, Ginny,' Hermione smiled.

" **Right," said Ron, who looked extremely put out, "this is getting stupid. Ginny, you can go with Harry, and I'll just -"**

Ginny and Daphne exchanged nasty looks, which only Hermione noticed, 

" **I can't," said Ginny, and she went scarlet too. "I'm going with - with Neville. He asked me when Hermione said no, and I thought… well… I'm not going to be able to go otherwise, I'm not in fourth year." She looked extremely miserable.**

'Sorry, Neville,' Ginny apologised.

'It's fine,' Neville smiled. 'I knew you liked him anyway.'

" **I think I'll go and have dinner," she said, and she got up and walked off to the portrait hole, her head bowed.**

**Ron goggled at Harry.**

" **What's got into them?" he demanded.**

Hermione muttered something under her breath about boys being completely clueless.

**But Harry had just seen Parvati and Lavender come in through the portrait hole. The time had come for drastic action.**

" **Wait here," he said to Ron, and he stood up, walked straight up to Parvati, and said, "Parvati? Will you go to the ball with me?"**

'That's right! Speak with confidence!' Sirius said approvingly, nodding.

**Parvati went into a fit of giggles. Harry waited for them to subside, his fingers crossed in the pocket of his robes.**

" **Yes, all right then," she said finally, blushing furiously.**

Parvati smiled at Harry, but she knew better than to mean it in a flirting manner; he was, after all, going out with Ginny, and she saw the glares that she was sending Cho.

" **Thanks," said Harry, in relief. "Lavender - will you go with Ron?"**

Lavender looked over at Ron.

" **She's going with Seamus," said Parvati, and the pair of them giggled harder than ever.**

**Harry sighed.**

" **Can't you think of anyone who'd go with Ron?" he said, lowering his voice so that Ron wouldn't hear.**

" **What about Hermione Granger?" said Parvati.**

Hermione couldn't help but sigh quietly, wondering what might have happened if Ron had asked her to the ball instead of Viktor... no, she was being silly. Why would Ron ever like her, the Gryffindor bookworm? He liked attractive girls... she didn't fit into that category...

Daphne looked between Ron and Hermione and shook her head, sometimes love really was blind, 

" **She's going with someone else."**

**Parvati looked astonished.**

" **Ooooh - _who_?" she said keenly.**

**Harry shrugged. "No idea," he said. "So what about Ron?"**

" **Well…" said Parvati slowly, "I suppose my sister might… Padma, you know… in Ravenclaw. I'll ask her if you like."**

Padma gave Ron a look that seemed a cross between looking cool and looking sour.

" **Yeah, that would be great," said Harry. "Let me know, will you?"**

**And he went back over to Ron, feeling that this ball was a lot more trouble than it was worth,**

'It really was,' Ron groaned.

**and hoping very much that Padma Patil's nose was dead centre.**

'It is, don't worry,' Harry said to Padma before she could say anything, sending her a swift smile.

'Well, end of the chapter,' Sprout announced, putting the book down.

'Ooh, I'll read next!' Sirius decided, Summoning the book to his hand quickly and eagerly opening it to the next chapter.


	28. The Yule Ball

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Happy 2nd of November - my present to you all

**Despite the very heavy load of homework that the fourth years had been given for the holidays, Harry was in no mood to work when the term ended,**

'You see? It wasn't just us who thought that!' Sirius said loudly as he looked at McGonagall, interrupting himself. 'Everyone else thinks it as well!'

'It is truly amazing, Black, that you aren't even through the first sentence and you're already interrupting yourself,' Snape said snidely speaking for the first time in a while, 

Sirius ignored him.

**and spent the week leading up to Christmas enjoying himself as fully as possible along with everyone else.**

'Parties breaking out at random intervals in the common room,' Lee sighed happily.

"Party house," muttered Draco

**Gryffindor Tower was hardly less crowded now than during term-time; it seemed to have shrunk slightly too, as its inhabitants were being so much rowdier than usual.**

'Is that even possible?' Snape muttered to himself. He tried not to wince as McGonagall dug the heel of her boot into his foot in retaliation.

**Fred and George had had a great success with their Canary Creams, and for the first couple of days of the holidays, people kept bursting into feathers all over the place.**

'We tried to get some to Snape,' Fred said in a slow, sorrowful tone.

'But we could never get close enough,' George continued.

'His grease forms a protective barrier around his person!' Lee concluded dramatically.

Most of the Hall snickered the mental image of Snape turning into a canary whilst Snape himself just glared at the three Gryffindors. 

**Before long, however, all the Gryffindors had learned to treat food anybody else offered them with extreme caution, in case it had a Canary Cream concealed in the centre,**

'CONSTANT VIGILANCE!' Mad-Eye roared across the Hall.

'Ah, I was wondering when we were going to hear that again,' Tonks said brightly, smiling. She turned to Remus. 'It's been far too long since we heard that, don't you agree?'

'What – oh, yes,' Remus agreed, nodding.

**and George confided to Harry that he and Fred were now working on developing something else.**

The Gryffindors all smirked to each other as they thought about what the new product might be.

**Harry made a mental note never to accept so much as a crisp from Fred and George in future.**

'Wise,' Sirius snorted. 'Never trust a prankster.'

'Which would be why no one ever trusted you,' Remus yawned.

**He still hadn't forgotten Dudley and the Ton-Tongue Toffee.**

'We would never do something like that to you, Harry dear,' Fred said through chuckles.

'Never,' George agreed, casually slinging an arm around Harry's shoulders.

**Snow was falling thickly upon the castle and its grounds now. The pale blue Beauxbatons carriage looked like a large, chilly, frosted pumpkin next to the iced gingerbread house that was Hagrid's cabin,**

'You have a rather different way of looking at the world, Harry,' Luna smiled dreamily. 'It's like you see the world through different eyes.'

Harry couldn't help but smile at the Ravenclaw. She really was unique, what with her beliefs and her outlook on life itself, and it made him envious to an extent; she stuck to her own beliefs, and she didn't care what people thought about her at all. That showed that she was a loyal person.

**while the Durmstrang ship's portholes were glazed with ice, the rigging white with frost. The house-elves down in the kitchen were outdoing themselves with a series of rich, warming stews and savoury puddings,**

A few boys began drooling, Ron included. Hermione shot Ron an exasperated look, 

**and only Fleur Delacour seemed to be able to find anything to complain about.**

" **It is too 'eavy, all zis 'Ogwarts food," they heard her saying grumpily as they left the Great Hall behind her one evening**

'We can't all live off stardust and moonbeams, you know,' Terry muttered, rolling his eyes.

**(Ron skulking behind Harry, keen not to be spotted by Fleur). "I will not fit into my dress robes!"**

'What an absolute shame,' muttered Ginny quietly, 

" **Oooh, there's a tragedy," Hermione snapped as Fleur went out into the entrance hall. "She really thinks a lot of herself, that one, doesn't she?"**

'Sorry," said Hermione quickly, buy Fleur waved her off,

"It's okay, I understand how I can come across sometimes," she replied, 

" **Hermione - who are you going to the ball with?" said Ron.**

**He kept springing this question on her, hoping to startle her into a response by asking it when she least expected it.**

'Not going to work,' Dean chuckled.

**However, Hermione merely frowned and said, "I'm not telling you, you'll just make fun of me."**

" **You're joking, Weasley!" said Malfoy, behind them. "You're not telling me someone's asked _that_ to the ball? Not the long-molared Mudblood?"**

'Get that boy under control," hissed McGonagall to Snape 

Narcissa shot her son a glare, which Harry noticed was the most emotion he had ever seen from her, looking at Draco he saw that he was looking quite contrite towards his mother, moving his gaze to Lucius the senior Malfoy looked impassive, glancing again between Malfoy and his mother he couldn't help but wonder if there was still hope for Draco, 

**Harry and Ron both whipped around, but Hermione said loudly, waving to somebody over Malfoy's shoulder, "Hello, Professor Moody!"**

Three-quarters of the Hall began snickering at the look on Malfoy's face.

**Malfoy went pale and jumped backwards, looking wildly around for Moody,**

'Twitchy, aren't we?' sniggered Lisa.

'There are still remnants of ferret in him,' Luna nodded, looking at Malfoy.

**but he was still up at the staff table, finishing his stew.**

" **Twitchy little ferret, aren't you, Malfoy?" said Hermione scathingly,**

The Hall began laughing once again, and a few people reached across to give Hermione a high-five.

**and she, Harry, and Ron went up the marble staircase laughing heartily.**

" **Hermione," said Ron, looking sideways at her, suddenly frowning, "your teeth…"**

Ron risked a glimpse at Hermione.

" **What about them?" she said.**

" **Well, they're different… I've just noticed…"**

" **Of course they are - did you expect me to keep those fangs Malfoy gave me?"**

Pansy looked like she wanted to say something, but a look from Draco stopped her, 

" **No, I mean, they're different to how they were before he put that hex on you… They're all… straight and - and normal-sized."**

'Reckon he'll tell her yet?' George muttered in Fred's ear.

'Are you joking?' Fred snorted quietly. 'They're both stubborn dunderheads to realise that they so obviously adore each other.'

'You don't know the half of it. You haven't been around them for five years,' Harry injected, having heard the conversation at his side.

'Why is it you always hear conversations?' George asked, shaking his head.

Harry smirked. 'Secrets. Anyway, everyone knows that they obviously adore each other. Everyone except them, that is.'

'They're stupid at times like that,' Fred muttered, rolling his eyes.

'What're you three talking about?' Hermione interrupted the conversation, looking over at the twins and Harry.

'Nothing!' they said at the same time in innocent voices that fooled nobody.

**Hermione suddenly smiled very mischievously,**

'You've been spending too much time with these two,' Ginny grinned, gesturing at the two on either side of her.

**and Harry noticed it too: It was a very different smile from the one he remembered.**

" **Well… when I went up to Madam Pomfrey to get them shrunk, she held up a mirror and told me to stop her when they were back to how they normally were," she said. "And I just… let her carry on a bit." She smiled even more widely.**

" **Mum and Dad won't be too pleased. I've been trying to persuade them to let me shrink them for ages, but they wanted me to carry on with my braces.**

'Braces?' asked a pureblood Hufflepuff in confusion.

'They're wires put on people's teeth to straighten them out,' Dean supplied before Hermione could. A few purebloods winced at the thought of having wires on their teeth.

**You know, they're dentists, they just don't think teeth and magic should - look! Pigwidgeons back!"**

**Ron's tiny owl was twittering madly on the top of the icicle-laden banisters, a scroll of parchment tied to his leg. People passing him were pointing and laughing, and a group of third-year girls paused and said, "Oh look at the weeny owl! Isn't he _cute_?"**

Said girls blushed.

" **Stupid little feathery git!" Ron hissed,**

A few people snickered, and Ginny just shook her head in resignation.

**hurrying up the stairs and snatching up Pigwidgeon. "You bring letters to the addressee! You don't hang around showing off!"**

**Pigwidgeon hooted happily, his head protruding over Ron's fist. The third-year girls all looked very shocked.**

" **Clear off!" Ron snapped at them, waving the fist holding Pigwidgeon, who hooted more happily than ever as he soared through the air.**

'There's something wrong with that owl,' Tonks giggled. 'What possessed you to give him that owl, I don't know,' she added to Sirius, who just shrugged in answer.

" **Here - take it, Harry," Ron added in an undertone as the third-year girls scuttled away looking scandalized. He pulled Sirius's reply off Pigwidgeons leg. Harry pocketed it, and they hurried back to Gryffindor Tower to read it.**

**Everyone in the common room was much too busy in letting off more holiday steam to observe what anyone else was up to. Ron, Harry, and Hermione sat apart from everyone else by a dark window that was gradually filling up with snow, and Harry read out:**

_**Dear Harry,** _

**_Congratulations on getting past the Horntail. Whoever put your name in that goblet shouldn_ ' _t be feeling too happy right now!_**

Harry scowled darkly, knowing that his survival of the tasks had been Crouch and Voldemort's plan all along.

**_I was going to suggest a Conjunctivitis Curse, as a dragon_ ' _s eyes are its weakest point –_**

" **That's what Krum did!" Hermione whispered –**

**_But your way was better, I_ ' _m impressed._**

'I really was,' Sirius murmured quietly.

'So am I!' Oliver shouted proudly.

**_Don_ ' _t get complacent, though, Harry._**

'Good advice,' Mad-Eye nodded in approval.

**_You_ ' _ve only done one task; whoever put you in for the tournament_ ' _s got plenty more opportunity if they_ ' _re trying to hurt you. Keep your eyes open -particularly when the person we discussed is around and concentrate on keeping yourself out of trouble._**

Harry adopted an innocent expression that just screamed _who, me?_

_**Keep in touch, I still want to hear about anything unusual.** _

_**Sirius** _

" **He sounds exactly like Moody," said Harry quietly, tucking the letter away again inside his robes. "'Constant vigilance!'**

'That's a good thing,' Mad-Eye grunted. 'Constant vigilance.'

**You'd think I walk around with my eyes shut, banging off the walls…"**

'You did in the Chamber,' Seamus felt the need to point out, smirking slightly.

'That doesn't count,' Harry dismissed. 'It was a life-or-death situation.'

Daphne frowned, "I don't like the way you are so casual about it," 

Harry turned to her and sighed, "I guess I'm just so used to them, that I don't think about it anymore,"

"Well please try to look after yourself," replied Daphne leaning her head on his shoulder, Harry smiled completely missing the sour looks from Ginny, Cho and several other girls.

" **But he's right, Harry," said Hermione,**

'Don't say that!' Remus groaned. 'His head will enlarge!'

" **you have still got two tasks to do. You really ought to have a look at that egg, you know, and start working out what it means…"**

" **Hermione, he's got ages!" snapped Ron. "Want a game of chess, Harry?"**

" **Yeah, okay," said Harry. Then, spotting the look on Hermione's face, he said, "Come on, how'm I supposed to concentrate with all this noise going on? I won't even be able to hear the egg over this lot."**

'He's got you there,' Anthony laughed.

" **Oh, I suppose not," she sighed, and she sat down to watch their chess match, which culminated in an exciting checkmate of Ron's, involving a couple of recklessly brave pawns and a very violent bishop.**

'Even the chess pieces are reckless in Gryffindor,' Snape muttered, shaking his head. 'Typical.'

**Harry awoke very suddenly on Christmas Day. Wondering what had caused his abrupt return to consciousness, he opened his eyes, and saw something with very large, round, green eyes staring back at him in the darkness, so close they were almost nose to nose.**

'What a wake up call,' snickered Sirius.

" ** _Dobby_!" Harry yelled, scrambling away from the elf so fast he almost fell out of bed. "Don't do that!"**

" **Dobby is sorry, sir!" squeaked Dobby anxiously, jumping backward with his long fingers over his mouth. "Dobby is only wanting to wish Harry Potter 'Merry Christmas' and bring him a present, Sir! Harry Potter did say Dobby could come and see him sometimes, sir!"**

A few girls cooed.

" **It's okay," said Harry, still breathing rather faster than usual, while his heart rate returned to normal. "Just - just prod me or something in future, all right, don't bend over me like that…"**

**Harry pulled back the curtains around his four-poster, took his glasses from his bedside table, and put them on. His yell had awoken Ron, Seamus, Dean, and Neville.**

'Not the last time that's gonna happen either,' Dean muttered.

**All of them were peering through the gaps in their own hangings, heavy-eyed and tousle-haired.**

'I bet they look cute with tousled hair,' giggled a third year girl to her friend, looking at them.

" **Someone attacking you, Harry?" Seamus asked sleepily.**

'Always best to check. You never know with him,' Seamus shrugged, pointing at Harry.

" **No, it's just Dobby," Harry muttered. "Go back to sleep."**

"Wasn't expecting that reply," admitted Seamus, 

" **Nah… presents!" said Seamus, spotting the large pile at the foot of his bed. Ron, Dean, and Neville decided that now they were awake they might as well get down to some present-opening too.**

'Commence with the present-opening,' sniggered Ernie.

**Harry turned back to Dobby, who was now standing nervously next to Harry's bed, still looking worried that he had upset Harry. There was a Christmas bauble tied to the loop on top of his tea cosy.**

" **Can Dobby give Harry Potter his present?" he squeaked tentatively.**

"' **Course you can," said Harry. "Er… I've got something for you too."**

**It was a lie;**

'And I must not tell lies,' Harry muttered mockingly. Hermione looked at him sharply, 

**he hadn't bought anything for Dobby at all, but he quickly opened his trunk and pulled out a particularly knobbly rolled-up pair of socks. They were his oldest and foulest, mustard yellow, and had once belonged to Uncle Vernon. The reason they were extra-knobbly was that Harry had been using them to cushion his Sneakoscope for over a year now.**

'Wouldn't it have stopped going off now that the rat is gone?' Susan questioned.

**He pulled out the Sneakoscope and handed the socks to Dobby, saying, "Sorry, I forgot to wrap them…"**

**But Dobby was utterly delighted.**

A few people couldn't help but smile at the house-elf's happiness at the simple things in life.

" **Socks are Dobby's favourite, favourite clothes, sir!" he said, ripping off his odd ones and pulling on Uncle Vernon's. "I has seven now, sir… But sir…" he said, his eyes widening, having pulled both socks up to their highest extent, so that they reached to the bottom of his shorts, "they has made a mistake in the shop, Harry Potter, they is giving you two the same!"**

'Oh no!' Lee gasped, his mouth twitching.

" **Ah, no, Harry, how come you didn't spot that?" said Ron, grinning over from his own bed, which was now strewn with wrapping paper.**

'The entire dorm was covered in wrapping paper,' snickered Neville.

" **Tell you what, Dobby - here you go - take these two, and you can mix them up properly. And here's your sweater."**

**He threw Dobby a pair of violet socks he had just unwrapped, and the hand-knitted sweater Mrs. Weasley had sent, Dobby looked quite overwhelmed.**

" **Sir is very kind!" he squeaked, his eyes brimming with tears again, bowing deeply to Ron. "Dobby knew sir must be a great wizard, for he is Harry Potter's greatest friend,**

Ron started blushing red around the ears.

'Ah, you know it's all true,' Harry couldn't help but tease, grinning.

**but Dobby did not know that he was also as generous of spirit, as noble, as selfless -"**

'LIES!' shrieked Fred dramatically.

'It is physically impossible to be as noble and selfless as Harry,' George informed, rolling his eyes.

' _Everybody_ knows that,' Lee smirked.

" **They're only socks," said Ron, who had gone slightly pink around the ears, though he looked rather pleased all the same. "Wow, Harry -" He had just opened Harry's present, a Chudley Cannon hat.**

'After you said you wouldn't be getting me Christmas presents,' Ron mock grumbled.

'I lied,' Harry said simply, shrugging.

" **Cool!" He jammed it onto his head, where it clashed horribly with his hair.**

**Dobby now handed Harry a small package, which turned out to be - socks.**

" **Dobby is making them himself, sir!" the elf said happily. "He is buying the wool out of his wages, sir!"**

More girls cooed again at the severe cuteness of it all.

**The left sock was bright red and had a pattern of broomsticks upon it; the right sock was green with a pattern of Snitches.**

" **They're… they're really… well, thanks, Dobby," said Harry,**

'Lost for words?' Fred asked innocently.

'He was overwhelmed,' George nodded.

**and he pulled them on, causing Dobby's eyes to leak with happiness again.**

" **Dobby must go now, sir, we is already making Christmas dinner in the kitchens!" said Dobby, and he hurried out of the dormitory, waving good-bye to Ron and the others as he passed.**

**Harry's other presents were much more satisfactory than Dobby's odd socks – with the obvious exception of the Dursleys', which consisted of a single tissue, an all time low - Harry supposed they too were remembering the Ton-Tongue Toffee.**

Growls could be heard around the hall, 

**Hermione had given Harry a book called _Quidditch Teams of Britain and Ireland_ ;**

Oliver was looking at Hermione in a new light, mostly because she bought his old Seeker Quidditch related things.

**Ron, a bulging bag of Dungbombs;**

'Ah, a great source of amusement,' Harry laughed.

**Sirius, a handy penknife with attachments to unlock any lock and undo any knot;**

'That's a good present,' Mad-Eye nodded with approval. 'I'm impressed.'

'Wow, I'm on a roll,' Sirius snickered. 'Mad-Eye really approves of me.'

**and Hagrid, a vast box of sweets including all Harry's favourites: Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans, Chocolate Frogs, Drooble's Best Blowing Gum, and Fizzing Whizbees.**

Several people began to drool.

**There was also, of course, Mrs Weasley's usual package, including a new sweater (green, with a picture of a dragon on it - Harry supposed Charlie had told her all about the Horntail),**

'I'm sure he left out minor details,' Fred dismissed. 'Like the fact that you were injured.'

"I did," admitted Charlie ignoring the glare from his mother, 

**and a large quantity of homemade mince pies.**

**Harry and Ron met up with Hermione in the common room, and they went down to breakfast together. They spent most of the morning in Gryffindor Tower, where everyone was enjoying their presents, then returned to the Great Hall for a magnificent lunch, which included at least a hundred turkeys and Christmas puddings, and large piles of Cribbage's Wizarding Crackers.**

'You've really gone out of your way to impress the other schools,' Tonks whistled in awe. 'Wish I'd been there.'

**They went out onto the grounds in the afternoon; the snow was untouched except for the deep channels made by the Durmstrang and Beauxbatons students on their way up to the castle.**

'Untouched snow is the best!' grinned Hannah excitedly.

**Hermione chose to watch Harry and the Weasleys' snowball fight rather than join in, and at five o'clock said she was going back upstairs to get ready for the ball.**

" **What, you need three hours?" said Ron, looking at her incredulously and paying for his lapse in concentration when a large snowball, thrown by George, hit him hard on the side of the head.**

'Thanks so much,' Ron mock grumbled, scowling at his brother.

'Any time, little bro',' George grinned back.

" **Who're you going with?" he yelled after Hermione, but she just waved and disappeared up the stone steps into the castle.**

**There was no Christmas tea today, as the ball included a feast, so at seven o'clock, when it had become hard to aim properly, the others abandoned their snowball fight and trooped back to the common room. The Fat Lady was sitting in her frame with her friend Violet from downstairs, both of them extremely tipsy, empty boxes of chocolate liqueurs littering the bottom other picture.**

Sirius snickered to himself.

" **Lairy fights, that's the one!" she giggled when they gave the password, and she swung forward to let them inside.**

'A lairy fight? I've never seen a lairy fight before,' Justin chuckled.

'Oh, they are quite beautiful to watch,' Luna smiled at him.

**Harry, Ron, Seamus, Dean, and Neville changed into their dress robes up in their dormitory, all of them looking very self-conscious,**

'Yours looked all right, though,' Seamus commented to Harry.

**but none as much as Ron, who surveyed himself in the long mirror in the corner with an appalled look on his face. There was just no getting around the fact that his robes looked more like a dress than anything else.**

Most of the boys gave Ron sympathetic looks, 

**In a desperate attempt to make them look more manly, he used a Severing Charm on the ruff and cuffs. It worked fairly well; at least he was now lace-free, although he hadn't done a very neat job, and the edges still looked depressingly frayed as the boys set off downstairs.**

" **I still can't work out how you two got the best-looking girls in the year," muttered Dean.**

Dean blushed as Parvati and Padma looked at him, eyebrows raised identically and wearing similar smiles.

" **Animal magnetism," said Ron gloomily, pulling stray threads out of his cuffs.**

**The common room looked strange, full of people wearing different colours instead of the usual mass of black. Parvati was waiting for Harry at the foot of the stairs. She looked very pretty indeed,**

'Thanks,' Parvati smiled warmly. She was relieved inwardly when Daphne, didn't turn her glare on her. At least she knew that she wasn't trying to steal Harry away from her, unlike a certain Ravenclaw she could name...

**in robes of shocking pink, with her long dark plait braided with gold, and gold bracelets glimmering at her wrists. Harry was relieved to see that she wasn't giggling.**

" **You - er - look nice," he said awkwardly.**

'More like beautiful,' Harry admitted, smiling at her. 'I'm terrible with words and girls. Well, slightly better now.'

'If you're better with words and girls now, then what am I?' Daphne asked, a small smile flitting across her face.

Harry looked down at her for the briefest instant, deciding on words in his mind and how to phrase them, before deciding to just allow the heart to lead.

'As radiant as a sunset on the Mediterranean in the height of summer,' he said softly. 'You could make the sunset and moonrise at your will by merely smiling. The stars could come out to shine just for you if you asked them to.'

Daphne blushed lightly, but she smiled all the same, and tugged lightly on a lock of Harry's hair to pull his head down for a kiss.

" **Thanks," she said. "Padma's going to meet you in the entrance hall," she added to Ron.**

" **Right," said Ron, looking around. "Where's Hermione?"**

'Young love,' sighed George dreamily. Under his breath, of course.

**Parvati shrugged. "Shall we go down then, Harry?"**

" **Okay," said Harry, wishing he could just stay in the common room. Fred winked at Harry as he passed him on the way out of the portrait hole.**

**The entrance hall was packed with students too, all milling around waiting for eight o'clock, when the doors to the Great Hall would be thrown open. Those people who were meeting partners from different Houses were edging through the crowd trying to find one another. Parvati found her sister, Padma, and led her over to Harry and Ron.**

" **Hi," said Padma, who was looking just as pretty as Parvati in robes of bright turquoise.**

'Thanks,' Padma smiled.

**She didn't look too enthusiastic about having Ron as a partner, though; her dark eyes lingered on the frayed neck and sleeves of his dress robes as she looked him up and down.**

" **Hi," said Ron, not looking at her, but staring around at the crowd.**

'Boys,' Hermione muttered under her breath, shaking her head. 'Clueless. The lot of them.'

" **Oh no…"**

**He bent his knees slightly to hide behind Harry, because Fleur Delacour was passing, looking stunning in robes of silver-grey satin, and accompanied by the Ravenclaw Quidditch captain, Roger Davies. When they had disappeared, Ron stood straight again and stared over the heads of the crowd.**

" **Where is Hermione?" he said again.**

'I should probably feel insulted,' Padma murmured to Lisa, 'but they're both so dense they don't know how they feel about each other.'

'Everyone else does,' Lisa giggled.

**A group of Slytherins came up the steps from their dungeon common room. Malfoy was in front; he was wearing dress robes of black velvet with a high collar, which in Harry's opinion made him look like a vicar.**

The Muggle-borns all snickered at the mental image of Malfoy dressed as a vicar.

**Pansy Parkinson in very frilly robes of pale pink was clutching Malfoy's arm.**

Malfoy pulled a face, that was an awful night, 

**Crabbe and Goyle were both wearing green; they resembled moss-coloured boulders, and neither of them, Harry was pleased to see, had managed to find a partner.**

'They have each other, don't they?' Luna asked, and people started snickering.

**The oak front doors opened, and everyone turned to look as the Durmstrang students entered with Professor Karkaroff. Krum was at the front of the party, accompanied by a pretty girl in blue robes Harry didn't know.**

'I wasn't really paying attention,' Harry said sheepishly to a smirking Hermione.

'That's a first.'

**Over their heads he saw that an area of lawn right in front of the castle had been transformed into a sort of grotto full of fairy lights - meaning hundreds of actual living fairies were sitting in the rosebushes that had been conjured there, and fluttering over the statues of what seemed to be Father Christmas and his reindeer.**

**Then Professor McGonagall's voice called, "Champions over here, please!"**

**Parvati readjusted her bangles, beaming;**

'It was fun,' Parvati smiled.

**she and Harry said, "See you in a minute" to Ron and Padma and walked forward, the chattering crowd parting to let them through. Professor McGonagall, who was wearing dress robes of red tartan**

'She loves her tartan,' smirked Sirius.

**and had arranged a rather ugly wreath of thistles around the brim other hat, told them to wait on one side of the doors while everyone else went inside; they were to enter the Great Hall in procession when the rest of the students had sat down.**

**Fleur Delacour and Roger Davies stationed themselves nearest the doors; Davies looked so stunned by his good fortune in having Fleur for a partner that he could hardly take his eyes off her.**

'A lot of boys were like that,' Lisa said, shaking her head.

**Cedric and Cho were close to Harry too; he looked away from them so he wouldn't have to talk to them. His eyes fell instead on the girl next to Krum. His jaw dropped.**

**It was Hermione.**

'You went with Viktor Krum?' Tonks asked, her eyes becoming as wide as galleons.

**But she didn't look like Hermione at all. She had done something with her hair; it was no longer bushy but sleek and shiny and twisted up into an elegant knot at the back of her head. She was wearing robes made of a floaty, periwinkle-blue material, and she was holding herself differently, somehow**

Ron smiled inwardly as he recalled the image of Hermione from the night of the Yule Ball.

**\- or maybe it was merely the absence of the twenty or so books she usually had slung over her back. She was also smiling - rather nervously, it was true - but the reduction in the size of her front teeth was more noticeable than ever; Harry couldn't understand how he hadn't spotted it before.**

'Because I've never wanted to ask you out because you're like my sister,' Harry smiled at Hermione, who smiled back, suddenly shyly.

" **Hi, Harry!" she said. "Hi, Parvati!"**

**Parvati was gazing at Hermione in unflattering disbelief. She wasn't the only one either; when the doors to the Great Hall opened, Krum's fan club from the library stalked past, throwing Hermione looks of deepest loathing.**

Said girls blushed at the looks they were receiving.

**Pansy Parkinson gaped at her as she walked by with Malfoy, and even he didn't seem to be able to find an insult to throw at her.**

More than a few people snickered at Pansy's current expression, 

**Ron, however, walked right past Hermione without looking at her.**

'Jealousy,' sighed Daphne to Harry.

**Once everyone else was settled in the Hall, Professor McGonagall told the champions and their partners to get in line in pairs and to follow her. They did so, and everyone in the Great Hall applauded as they entered and started walking up toward a large round table at the top of the Hall, where the judges were sitting. The walls of the Hall had all been covered in sparkling silver frost, with hundreds of garlands of mistletoe and ivy crossing the starry black ceiling.**

'It sounds simply...' Tonks began to say, but trailed off as she searched for a word to describe it.

'Magical?' Remus suggested innocently. She ignored him.

'Wondrous,' Tonks breathed, her eyes simply sparking like gems beside a flickering fire.

**The House tables had vanished; instead, there were about a hundred smaller, lantern-lit ones, each seating about a dozen people.**

**Harry concentrated on not tripping over his feet. Parvati seemed to be enjoying herself;**

Parvati nodded with a smile.

**she was beaming around at everybody, steering Harry so forcefully that he felt as though he were a show dog she was putting through its paces.**

'Okay, so maybe I was slightly over-enthusiastic,' Parvati giggled.

**He caught sight of Ron and Padma as he neared the top table. Ron was watching Hermione pass with narrowed eyes. Padma was looking sulky.**

**Dumbledore smiled happily as the champions approached the top table, but Karkaroff wore an expression remarkably like Ron's as he watched Krum and Hermione draw nearer.**

Ron grimaced.

**Ludo Bagman, tonight in robes of bright purple with large yellow stars,**

'Have you been giving out clothing tips again, Albus?' McGonagall groaned, pinching the bridge of her nose.

**was clapping as enthusiastically as any of the students; and Madame Maxime, who had changed her usual uniform of black satin for a flowing gown of lavender silk, was applauding them politely. But Mr. Crouch, Harry suddenly realized, was not there. The fifth seat at the table was occupied by Percy Weasley.**

'Oh, joy,' Fred said in a monotone, his face saying otherwise.

**When the champions and their partners reached the table, Percy drew out the empty chair beside him, staring pointedly at Harry. Harry took the hint and sat down next to Percy,**

'Really?' George asked, raising an eyebrow.

'We'd have just sat elsewhere,' Fred shrugged. 'Just saying.'

**who was wearing brand-new, navy-blue dress robes and an expression of such smugness that Harry thought it ought to be fined.**

A few people snickered, Fred and George being the loudest, and Percy's ears went pink.

" **I've been promoted," Percy said before Harry could even ask, and from his tone, he might have been announcing his election as Supreme Ruler of the Universe.**

Fred and George laughed again.

" **I'm now Mr. Crouch's personal assistant, and I'm here representing him."**

" **Why didn't he come?" Harry asked. He wasn't looking forward to being lectured on cauldron bottoms all through dinner.**

Percy blushed again.

'We aren't either, Harry,' Fred said in agreement.

" **I'm afraid to say Mr. Crouch isn't well, not well at all. Hasn't been right since the World Cup.**

Harry suppressed a wince at how true that was.

**Hardly surprising - overwork. He's not as young as he was – though still quite brilliant, of course, the mind remains as great as it ever was. But the World Cup was a fiasco for the whole Ministry, and then, Mr. Crouch suffered a huge personal shock with the misbehaviour of that house-elf of his, Blinky, or whatever she was called.**

Hermione looked ready to walk over to Percy and start breathing fire in his face.

**Naturally, he dismissed her immediately afterward, but - well, as I say, he's getting on, he needs looking after, and I think he's found a definite drop in his home comforts since she left.**

'It's his own fault,' Hermione sniffed in a slightly higher voice.

**And then we had the tournament to arrange, and the aftermath of the Cup to deal with - that revolting Skeeter woman buzzing around -**

Hermione's expression suddenly became the mischievous smile again.

**no, poor man, he's having a well earned, quiet Christmas. I'm just glad he knew he had someone he could rely upon to take his place."**

**Harry wanted very much to ask whether Mr. Crouch had stopped calling Percy "Weatherby" yet, but resisted the temptation.**

'Aw,' whined Fred.

'I'd have loved to have seen his reaction,' George sniggered.

**There was no food as yet on the glittering golden plates, but small menus were lying in front of each of them. Harry picked his up uncertainly and looked around - there were no waiters. Dumbledore, however, looked carefully down at his own menu, then said very clearly to his plate, "Pork chops!"**

**And pork chops appeared. Getting the idea, the rest of the table placed their orders with their plates too. Harry glanced up at Hermione to see how she felt about this new and more complicated method of dining - surely it meant plenty of extra work for the house-elves? - but for once, Hermione didn't seem to be thinking about S.P.E.W.**

Hermione pointedly ignored the overly-scandalised looks that the twins and Lee were sending her.

**She was deep in talk with Viktor Krum and hardly seemed to notice what she was eating.**

**It now occurred to Harry that he had never actually heard Krum speak before, but he was certainly talking now, and very enthusiastically at that.**

" **Veil, ve have a castle also, not as big as this, nor as comfortable, I am thinking," he was telling Hermione.**

'Our castle is simply the _best_ ,' grinned Susan.

" **Ve have just four floors, and the fires are lit only for magical purposes.**

'No wonder Karkaroff and Snape get on so well,' muttered a Ravenclaw Beater.

**But ve have grounds larger even than these - though in vinter, ve have very little daylight, so ve are not enjoying them. But in summer ve are flying every day, over the lakes and the mountains -"**

The Quidditch fans all sighed dreamily. Oliver looked like he was tempted to go for a fly there and then.

" **Now, now, Viktor!" said Karkaroff with a laugh that didn't reach his cold eyes, "don't go giving away anything else, now, or your charming friend will know exactly where to find us!"**

**Dumbledore smiled, his eyes twinkling. "Igor, all this secrecy… one would almost think you didn't want visitors."**

'No, no,' Lee disagreed in a hearty voice. 'Just the Christmas carollers! They're so insistent, we _have_ to keep our location hidden!'

" **Well, Dumbledore," said Karkaroff, displaying his yellowing teeth to their fullest extent, "we are all protective of our private domains, are we not? Do we not jealously guard the halls of learning that have been entrusted to us? Are we not right to be proud that we alone know our school's secrets, and right to protect them?"**

" **Oh I would never dream of assuming I know all Hogwarts' secrets, Igor," said Dumbledore amicably.**

'We do,' Ron smirked, gesturing at Hermione, Harry and himself.

" **Only this morning, for instance, I took a wrong turn on the way to the bathroom and found myself in a beautifully proportioned room I have never seen before, containing a really rather magnificent collection of chamber pots. When I went back to investigate more closely, I discovered that the room had vanished.**

The members of the DA all smirked at each other.

'Told you,' Harry grinned at Hermione.

**But I must keep an eye out for it. Possibly it is only accessible at five-thirty in the morning. Or it may only appear at the quarter moon - or when the seeker has an exceptionally full bladder."**

A few people snorted.

**Harry snorted into his plate of goulash.**

Dumbledore chuckled into his beard.

**Percy frowned, but Harry could have sworn Dumbledore had given him a very small wink.**

Dumbledore just smiled serenely.

**Meanwhile Fleur Delacour was criticizing the Hogwarts decorations to Roger Davies.**

'Typical,' Ginny muttered.

" **Zis is nothing," she said dismissively, looking around at the sparkling walls of the Great Hall. "At ze Palace of Beauxbatons, we 'ave ice sculptures all around ze dining chamber at Chreestmas. Zey do not melt, of course… zey are like 'uge statues of diamond, glittering around ze place. And ze food is seemply superb. And we 'ave choirs of wood nymphs, 'oo serenade us as we eat.**

'We don't all attend a school for fairy princesses.' muttered a Hufflepuff girl 

**We 'ave none of zis ugly armour in ze 'alls, and eef a poltergeist ever entaired into Beauxbatons, 'e would be expelled like _zat_." She slapped her hand onto the table impatiently.**

**Roger Davies was watching her talk with a very dazed look on his face, and he kept missing his mouth with his fork. Harry had the impression that Davies was too busy staring at Fleur to take in a word she was saying.**

'Probably not,' laughed Padma, and Rodger Davies blushed.

" **Absolutely right," he said quickly, slapping his own hand down on the table in imitation of Fleur. "Like _that_. Yeah."**

**Harry looked around the Hall. Hagrid was sitting at one of the other staff tables; he was back in his horrible hairy brown suit and gazing up at the top table. Harry saw him give a small wave, and looking around, saw Madame Maxime return it, her opals glittering in the candlelight.**

**Hermione was now teaching Krum to say her name properly; he kept calling her "Hermy-own."**

" **Her-my-oh-nee," she said slowly and clearly.**

" **Herm-own-ninny."**

'Can we – ' Fred began to ask, but Hermione cut him off.

'No.'

'Please?'

Absolutely not.'

" **Close enough," she said, catching Harry's eye and grinning.**

**When all the food had been consumed, Dumbledore stood up and asked the students to do the same. Then, with a wave of his wand, all the tables zoomed back along the walls leaving the floor clear, and then he conjured a raised platform into existence along the right wall. A set of drums, several guitars, a lute, a cello, and some bagpipes were set upon it.**

**The Weird Sisters now trooped up onto the stage to wildly enthusiastic applause;**

The fangirls shrieked again.

**they were all extremely hairy and dressed in black robes that had been artfully ripped and torn.**

'Just like Metallica,' sighed the same Green Day fan from before.

**They picked up their instruments, and Harry, who had been so interested in watching them that he had almost forgotten what was coming, suddenly realized that the lanterns on all the other tables had gone out, and that the other champions and their partners were standing up.**

" **Come on!" Parvati hissed. "We're supposed to dance!"**

**Harry tripped over his dress robes as he stood up. The Weird Sisters struck up a slow, mournful tune; Harry walked onto the brightly lit dance floor, carefully avoiding catching anyone's eye (he could see Seamus and Dean waving at him and sniggering),**

Dean and Seamus didn't look remotely abashed. They just grinned.

**and next moment, Parvati had seized his hands, placed one around her waist, and was holding the other tightly in hers.**

**It wasn't as bad as it could have been. Harry thought, revolving slowly on the spot (Parvati was steering).**

'I don't dance,' Harry repeated forcefully from the chapter prior to this.

**He kept his eyes fixed over the heads of the watching people, and very soon many of them too had come onto the dance floor, so that the champions were no longer the centre of attention.**

'Which I preferred.'

**Neville and Ginny were dancing nearby - he could see Ginny wincing frequently as Neville trod on her feet –**

Ginny & Neville both blushed, 

**and Dumbledore was waltzing with Madame Maxime. He was so dwarfed by her that the top of his pointed hat barely tickled her chin; however, she moved very gracefully for a woman so large. Mad-Eye Moody was doing an extremely ungainly two-step with Professor Sinistra, who was nervously avoiding his wooden leg.**

'I don't blame her, myself,' Mad-Eye chuckled darkly.

" **Nice socks Potter," Moody growled as he passed, his magical eye staring through Harry's robes.**

" **Oh - yeah, Dobby the house-elf knitted them for me," said Harry, grinning.**

" **He is so _creepy_!" Parvati whispered as Moody clunked away. "I don't think that eye should be _allowed_."**

'I'd love an eye like that,' Sirius grinned.

'Yes, and I know what you'd use it for,' Remus shot back, narrowing his eyes at his best friend in disgust.

'Get your mind out of the gutter, Moony!' Sirius mock gasped. 'How dare you accuse me of such a foul thing!'

**Harry heard the final, quavering note from the bagpipe with relief. The Weird Sisters stopped playing, applause filled the hall once more, and Harry let go of Parvati at once.**

'It wasn't you that was the problem. I don't like dancing,' Harry said at once to Parvati.

" **Let's sit down, shall we?"**

" **Oh - but - this is a really good one!" Parvati said as the Weird Sisters struck up a new song, which was much faster.**

" **No, I don't like it," Harry lied, and he led her away from the dance floor, past Fred and Angelina, who were dancing so exuberantly that people around them were backing away in fear of injury,**

Fred and Angelina grinned.

**and over to the table where Ron and Padma were sitting.**

" **How's it going?" Harry asked Ron, sitting down and opening a bottle of butterbeer.**

**Ron didn't answer. He was glaring at Hermione and Krum, who were dancing nearby.**

Hermione sighed and rolled her eyes. Honestly...

**Padma was sitting with her arms and legs crossed, one foot jiggling in time to the music. Every now and then she threw a disgruntled look at Ron, who was completely ignoring her.**

'Sorry about that,' Ron apologised sheepishly.

**Parvati sat down on Harry's other side, crossed her arms and legs too, and within minutes was asked to dance by a boy from Beauxbatons.**

" **You don't mind, do you, Harry?" Parvati said.**

" **What?" said Harry, who was now watching Cho and Cedric.**

" **Oh never mind," snapped Parvati, and she went off with the boy from Beauxbatons. When the song ended, she did not return.**

**Hermione came over and sat down in Parvati's empty chair. She was a bit pink in the face from dancing.**

" **Hi," said Harry. Ron didn't say anything.**

Fred and George looked at each other and rolled their eyes.

" **It's hot, isn't it?" said Hermione, fanning herself with her hand. "Viktor's just gone to get some drinks."**

**Ron gave her a withering look. " _Viktor_?" he said. "Hasn't he asked you to call him _Vicky_ yet?"**

Ron avoided looking at Viktor and Hermione, 

**Hermione looked at him in surprise. "What's up with you?" she said.**

" **If you don't know," said Ron scathingly, "I'm not going to tell you."**

**Hermione stared at him, then at Harry, who shrugged.**

'I'm not getting involved,' Harry announced, putting up his hands for emphasis.

" **Ron, what -?"**

" **He's from Durmstrang!" spat Ron. "He's competing against Harry! Against Hogwarts! You - you're -" Ron was obviously casting around for words strong enough to describe Hermione's crime, " _fraternizing with the enemy_ , that's what you're doing!"**

'Says the one who wanted his autograph?' Hannah giggled, covering her mouth with her fingers.

**Hermione's mouth fell open.**

" **Don't be so stupid!" she said after a moment. "The _enemy_! Honestly - who was the one who was all excited when they saw him arrive? Who was the one who wanted his autograph? Who's got a model of him up in their dormitory?"**

'Exactly!'

**Ron chose to ignore this.**

'Of course he did,' Susan rolled her eyes.

" **I s'pose he asked you to come with him while you were both in the library?"**

" **Yes, he did," said Hermione, the pink patches on her cheeks glowing more brightly. "So what?"**

" **What happened - trying to get him to join _spew_ , were you?"**

" **No, I wasn't! If you _really_ want to know, he - he said he'd been coming up to the library every day to try and talk to me, but he hadn't been able to pluck up the courage!"**

'Aw,' cooed Lavender.

'How romantic!' squealed a romance-loving fourth year.

Viktor and Hermione both blushed, 

**Hermione said this very quickly, and blushed so deeply that she was the same colour as Parvati's robes.**

" **Yeah, well - that's his story," said Ron nastily.**

'And what's that supposed to mean?' Lavender demanded.

" **And what's that supposed to mean?"**

Lavender and Hermione glanced at each other, but otherwise said nothing.

" **Obvious, isn't it? He's Karkaroff's student, isn't he? He knows who you hang around with… He's just trying to get closer to Harry - get inside information on him - or get near enough to jinx him -"**

**Hermione looked as though Ron had slapped her.**

'How could you suggest that, you complete prick?' Ginny asked sharply, shaking her head.

Ron flinched at the venom in his sister's voice,

**When she spoke, her voice quivered.**

" **For your information, he hasn't asked me _one single thing_ about Harry, not one -"**

'The only times that Harry came into conversation was after the Second and Third task, asking if he was all right,' said Hermione quietly.

**Ron changed tack at the speed of light.**

" **Then he's hoping you'll help him find out what his egg means! I suppose you've been putting your heads together during those cosy little library sessions -"**

'And now you're suggesting that she'll betray Harry!' Ginny all but shrieked, slapping Ron on the head in an attempt to knock some sense into his head.

'I'm stupid, aren't I?' Ron muttered.

'Yes, yes you are.'

" **I'd _never_ help him work out that egg!" said Hermione, looking outraged. " _Never_. How could you say something like that**

'I've stood by him since first year,' said Hermione quietly.

'And she didn't desert him before the First Task,' Dean pointed out.

**\- I want Harry to win the tournament. Harry knows that, don't you, Harry?"**

" **You've got a funny way of showing it," sneered Ron.**

" **This whole tournament's supposed to be about getting to know foreign wizards and making friends with them!" said Hermione hotly.**

" **No it isn't!" shouted Ron. "It's about winning!"**

'No, it's not,' Harry murmured, more to himself than anyone else. He knew what the cost of winning the tournament had been, and it had been a price far too high.

**People were starting to stare at them.**

" **Ron," said Harry quietly, "I haven't got a problem with Hermione coming with Krum -"**

Hermione sent a small smile of gratitude to Harry.

**But Ron ignored Harry too.**

'Sorry, mate,' said Ron sheepishly.

'This is why I don't get involved with your arguments.'

" **Why don't you go and find Vicky, he'll be wondering where you are," said Ron.**

" ** _Don't call him Vicky_!" Hermione jumped to her feet and stormed off across the dance floor, disappearing into the crowd. Ron watched her go with a mixture of anger and satisfaction on his face.**

Ron shook his head, looking down.

" **Are you going to ask me to dance at all?" Padma asked him.**

" **No," said Ron, still glaring after Hermione.**

" **Fine," snapped Padma, and she got up and went to join Parvati and the Beauxbatons boy, who conjured up one of his friends to join them so fast that Harry could have sworn he had zoomed him there by a Summoning Charm.**

" **Vare is Herm-own-ninny?" said a voice.**

'This could go down well,' chuckled Ernie.

**Krum had just arrived at their table clutching two butterbeers.**

" **No idea," said Ron mulishly, looking up at him. "Lost her, have you?"**

**Krum was looking surly again.**

" **Veil, if you see her, tell her I haff drinks," he said, and he slouched off.**

" **Made friends with Viktor Krum, have you, Ron?"**

'I wouldn't count on it,' Seamus said, shaking his head in amusement.

**Percy had bustled over, rubbing his hands together and looking extremely pompous.**

'Been taking lessons from our Minister, have you?' Lee asked gleefully. 'Excellent. You'll be wanting crumpets, soon!'

" **Excellent! That's the whole point, you know - international magical cooperation!"**

'That it is,' Dumbledore nodded.

**To Harry's displeasure,**

'And mine,' Ron added grimly.

**Percy now took Padma's vacated seat. The top table was now empty; Professor Dumbledore was dancing with Professor Sprout,**

Dumbledore chuckled.

**Ludo Bagman with Professor McGonagall;**

'You dance?' Snape couldn't help but ask.

McGonagall pointedly ignored him.

**Madame Maxime and Hagrid were cutting a wide path around the dance floor as they waltzed through the students,**

Sirius grinned up at Hagrid as he read that line.

**and Karkaroff**

'Was dancing with his goatee?' Lee said hopefully.

**was nowhere to be seen.**

'Ah.'

**When the next song ended, everybody applauded once more, and Harry saw Ludo Bagman kiss Professor McGonagall's hand and make his way back through the crowds, at which point Fred and George accosted him.**

" **What do they think they're doing, annoying senior Ministry members?" Percy hissed, watching Fred and George suspiciously. " _No_ respect…"**

'We give respect,' said George in a slightly more serious voice than usual.

'To those who earn it,' Fred concluded, nodding solemnly.

**Ludo Bagman shook off Fred and George fairly quickly, however, and, spotting Harry, waved and came over to their table.**

" **I hope my brothers weren't bothering you, Mr. Bagman?" said Percy at once.**

" **What? Oh not at all, not at all!" said Bagman. "No, they were just telling me a bit more about those fake wands of theirs.**

'Liar.

**Wondering if I could advise them on the marketing.**

'Liar.'

**I've promised to put them in touch with a couple of contacts of mine at Zonko's Joke Shop…"**

'Liar.'

**Percy didn't look happy about this at all, and Harry was prepared to bet he would be rushing to tell Mrs. Weasley about this the moment he got home.**

'You're probably right,' Fred sighed dramatically.

**Apparently Fred and George's plans had grown even more ambitious lately, if they were hoping to sell to the public. Bagman opened his mouth to ask Harry something, but Percy diverted him.**

" **How do you feel the tournament's going, Mr. Bagman? _Our_ department's quite satisfied - the hitch with the Goblet of Fire" - he glanced at Harry -**

Percy winced at how crass that sounded, he tried not to look at his siblings, 

" **was a little unfortunate, of course, but it seems to have gone very smoothly since, don't you think?"**

'Barely,' Madam Pomfrey grumbled.

" **Oh yes," Bagman said cheerfully, "it's all been enormous fun. How's old Barty doing? Shame he couldn't come."**

" **Oh I'm sure Mr. Crouch will be up and about in no time," said Percy importantly, "but in the meantime, I'm more than willing to take up the slack. Of course, it's not all attending balls" - he laughed airily -**

'Oh please, _shut up_!' Ron groaned loudly.

" **oh no, I've had to deal with all sorts of things that have cropped up in his absence - you heard Ali Bashir was caught smuggling a consignment of flying carpets into the country? And then we've been trying to persuade the Transylvanians to sign the International Ban on Duelling.**

'As if Voldemort will listen to that,' Harry snorted humourlessly.

**I've got a meeting with their Head of Magical Cooperation in the new year -"**

" **Let's go for a walk," Ron muttered to Harry, "get away from Percy…"**

**Pretending they wanted more drinks Harry and Ron left the table, edged around the dance floor, and slipped out into the entrance hall.**

'A relief to get out of the Hall, actually,' Harry mused thoughtfully.

**The front doors stood open, and the fluttering fairy lights in the rose garden winked and twinkled as they went down the front steps, where they found themselves surrounded by bush**

The romance-loving girls sighed dreamily.

**es; winding, ornamental paths; and large stone statues. Harry could hear splashing water, which sounded like a fountain. Here and there, people were sitting on carved benches. He and Ron set off along one of the winding paths through the rosebushes, but they had gone only a short way when they heard an unpleasantly familiar voice.**

'What are _you_ doing out there, Snivells?' Sirius asked snidely, raising an eyebrow. 'Got ourselves a date, have we?'

Snape refused to acknowledge Sirius.

"… **don't see what there is to fuss about, Igor."**

" **Severus, you cannot pretend this isn't happening!" Karkaroffs voice sounded anxious and hushed, as though keen not to be overheard. "It's been getting clearer and clearer for months. I am becoming seriously concerned, I can't deny it -"**

'The Dark Mark,' said Dumbledore gravely.

" **Then flee," said Snapes voice curtly. "Flee - I will make your excuses. I, however, am remaining at Hogwarts."**

 _I have my reasons_ , Snape added mentally to himself.

**Snape and Karkaroff came around the corner. Snape had his wand out and was blasting rosebushes apart,**

'That's not very nice,' Luna frowned.

**his expression most ill-natured.**

'When is it ever not?' Lee asked innocently.

**Squeals issued from many of the bushes, and dark shapes emerged from them.**

" **Ten points from Ravenclaw, Fawcett!" Snape snarled as a girl ran past him. "And ten points from Hufflepuff too, Stebbins!" as a boy went rushing after her.**

The two blushed.

" **And what are you two doing?" he added, catching sight of Harry and Ron on the path ahead. Karkaroff, Harry saw, looked slightly discomposed to see them standing there.**

'Good observation skills,' Mad-Eye nodded in approval.

**His hand went nervously to his goatee, and he began winding it around his finger.**

" **We're walking," Ron told Snape shortly. "Not against the law, is it?"**

Many people began to snigger, and Snape glared at Ron.

" **Keep walking, then!" Snape snarled, and he brushed past them, his long black cloak billowing out behind him. Karkaroff hurried away after Snape. Harry and Ron continued down the path.**

'See? We continued walking,' Harry grinned at Snape cheekily.

" **What's got Karkaroff all worried?" Ron muttered.**

" **And since when have he and Snape been on first-name terms?"said Harry slowly.**

**They had reached a large stone reindeer now, over which they could see the sparkling jets of a tall fountain. The shadowy outlines of two enormous people were visible on a stone bench, watching the water in the moonlight.**

'Three guesses who they are,' said Terry casually.

**And then Harry heard Hagrid speak.**

" **Momen' I saw yeh, I knew," he was saying, in an oddly husky voice.**

**Harry and Ron froze. This didn't sound like the sort of scene they ought to walk in on, somehow… Harry looked around, back up the path, and saw Fleur Delacour and Roger Davies standing half-concealed in a rosebush nearby.**

Rodger Davies blushed a deep red at some of the looks he was receiving.

**He tapped Ron on the shoulder and jerked his head toward them, meaning that they could easily sneak off that way without being noticed (Fleur and Davies looked very busy to Harry),**

If possible, Rodger went a deeper red.

**but Ron, eyes widening in horror at the sight of Fleur, shook his head vigorously, and pulled Harry deeper into the shadows behind the reindeer.**

" **What did you know, 'Agrid?" said Madame Maxime, a purr in her low voice.**

**Harry definitely didn't want to listen to this; he knew Hagrid would hate to be overheard in a situation like this (he certainly would have) - if it had been possible he would have put his fingers in his ears and hummed loudly, but that wasn't really an option. Instead he tried to interest himself in a beetle crawling along the stone reindeer's back,**

Harry, Hermione and Ron scowled hatefully.

**but the beetle just wasn't interesting enough to block out Hagrid's next words.**

" **I jus' knew…knew you were like me… Was it yer mother or yer father?"**

" **I - I don't know what you mean, 'Agrid…"**

" **It was my mother," said Hagrid quietly. "She was one o' the las' ones in Britain. 'Course, I can' remember her too well… she left, see. When I was abou' three. She wasn' really the maternal sort. Well… it's not in their natures, is it? Dunno what happened to her… might be dead fer all I know…"**

**Madame Maxime didn't say anything. And Harry, in spite of himself, took his eyes off the beetle and looked over the top of the reindeer's antlers, listening… He had never heard Hagrid talk about his childhood before.**

'I can't help it if I'm curious,' Harry sighed.

" **Me dad was broken-hearted when she wen'. Tiny little bloke, my dad was. By the time I was six I could lift him up an' put him on top o' the dresser if he annoyed me.**

'Wicked,' Fred grinned.

**Used ter make him laugh…" Hagrid's deep voice broke. Madame Maxime was listening, motionless, apparently staring at the silvery fountain. "Dad raised me… but he died, o' course, jus' after I started school.**

'It must have been so hard for him,' Parvati sighed sadly.

**Sorta had ter make me own way after that. Dumbledore was a real help, mind. Very kind ter me, he was…"**

**Hagrid pulled out a large spotted silk handkerchief and blew his nose heavily.**

" **So… anyway… enough abou' me. What about you? Which side you got it on?"**

**But Madame Maxime had suddenly got to her feet.**

" **It is chilly," she said - but whatever the weather was doing, it was nowhere near as cold as her voice. "I think I will go in now."**

'She won't want to tell him,' Amelia said sadly.

'It's understandable, what with all the hate and discrimination going around,' Remus nodded, knowing that better than almost anyone in the room.

'We really have to get that changed,' Amelia sighed, shaking her head. She looked at Percy. 'Make a note of that,' she said in a sharper tone.

" **Eh?" said Hagrid blankly. "No, don go! I've - I've never met another one before!"**

" **Anuzzer _what_ , precisely?" said Madame Maxime, her tone icy.**

**Harry could have told Hagrid it was best not to answer; he stood there in the shadows gritting his teeth, hoping against hope**

'You do that a lot,' Luna observed.

**he wouldn't - but it was no good.**

" **Another half-giant, o' course!" said Hagrid.**

"' **Ow dare you!" shrieked Madame Maxime. Her voice exploded through the peaceful night air like a foghorn; behind him. Harry heard Fleur and Roger fall out of their rosebush.**

Rodger's blush renewed itself in no time at all.

" **I 'ave nevair been more insulted in my life! 'Alf-giant? Moi? I 'ave - I 'ave big bones!"**

'Yeah, so does Dud,' Harry snorted sarcastically.

**She stormed away; great multicoloured swarms of fairies rose into the air as she passed, angrily pushing aside bushes. Hagrid was still sitting on the bench, staring after her. It was much too dark to make out his expression. Then, after about a minute, he stood up and strode away, not back to the castle, but off out into the dark grounds in the direction of his cabin.**

'Poor Hagrid,' murmured Lisa to Padma.

" **C'mon," Harry said, very quietly to Ron. "Let's go…"**

**But Ron didn't move.**

" **What's up?" said Harry, looking at him.**

**Ron looked around at Harry, his expression very serious indeed.**

" **Did you know?" he whispered. "About Hagrid being half-giant?"**

" **No," Harry said, shrugging. "So what?"**

'It doesn't bother me, Hagrid,' Harry reassured Hagrid, and the half-giant smiled with gratitude.

**He knew immediately, from the look Ron was giving him, that he was once again revealing his ignorance of the wizarding world.**

'It's not your fault,' said Tonks, smiling.

**Brought up by the Dursleys, there were many things that wizards took for granted that were revelations to Harry,**

'And vice-versa with purebloods and Muggles,' Hermione pointed out.

**but these surprises had become fewer with each successive year. Now, however, he could tell that most wizards would not have said "So what?" upon finding out that one of their friends had a giantess for a mother.**

'But you're not _most wizards_ ,' said Remus simply.

" **I'll explain inside," said Ron quietly, "c'mon…"**

**Fleur and Roger Davies had disappeared, probably into a more private clump of bushes. Harry and Ron returned to the Great Hall. Parvati and Padma were now sitting at a distant table with a whole crowd of Beauxbatons boys,**

Parvati and Padma blushed.

**and Hermione was once more dancing with Krum. Harry and Ron sat down at a table far removed from the dance floor.**

" **So?" Harry prompted Ron. "What's the problem with giants?"**

" **Well, they're… they're…" Ron struggled for words. "…not very nice," he finished lamely.**

" **Who cares?" Harry said. "There's nothing wrong with Hagrid!"**

'Exactly,' Sirius nodded in agreement

Umbridge looked like she begged to differ.

" **I know there isn't, but… blimey, no wonder he keeps it quiet," Ron said, shaking his head. "I always thought he'd got in the way of a bad Engorgement Charm when he was a kid or something.**

Hagrid just chuckled quietly.

**Didn't like to mention it…"**

" **But what's it matter if his mother was a giantess?" said Harry.**

" **Well… no one who knows him will care, 'cos they'll know he's not dangerous," said Ron slowly.**

Umbridge scoffed. She was ignored.

" **But…Harry, they're just vicious, giants. It's like Hagrid said, it's in their natures, they're like trolls… they just like killing, everyone knows that. There aren't any left in Britain now, though."**

" **What happened to them?"**

" **Well, they were dying out anyway, and then loads got themselves killed by Aurors.**

'They chose the wrong side,' Mad-Eye growled darkly, thinking back to the dark days before

**There're supposed to be giants abroad, though…**

Hagrid thought of Grawp.

**They hide out in mountains mostly…"**

Hagrid nodded slightly to that.

" **I don't know who Maxime thinks she's kidding," Harry said, watching Madame Maxime sitting alone at the judges' table, looking very sombre. "If Hagrid's half giant, she definitely is. Big bones… the only thing that's got bigger bones than her is a dinosaur."**

A few people snickered.

**Harry and Ron spent the rest of the ball discussing giants in their corner, neither of them having any inclination to dance. Harry tried not to watch Cho and Cedric too much; it gave him a strong desire to kick something.**

'I felt a similar way when I saw you dancing with anyone but me,' said Ginny in a cheerful voice.

**When the Weird Sisters finished playing at midnight, everyone gave them a last, loud round of applause and started to wend their way into the entrance hall. Many people were expressing the wish that the ball could have gone on longer, but Harry was perfectly happy to be going to bed; as far as he was concerned, the evening hadn't been much fun.**

**Out in the entrance hall, Harry and Ron saw Hermione saying good night to Krum before he went back to the Durmstrang ship. She gave Ron a very cold look and swept past him up the marble staircase without speaking.**

Hermione and Ron avoided each other's eyes momentarily.

**Harry and Ron followed her, but halfway up the staircase Harry heard someone calling him.**

" **Hey – Harry!"**

**It was Cedric Diggory. Harry could see Cho waiting for him in the entrance hall below.**

" **Yeah?" said Harry coldly as Cedric ran up the stairs toward him.**

**Cedric looked as though he didn't want to say whatever it was in front of Ron, who shrugged, looking bad-tempered, and continued to climb the stairs.**

" **Listen…" Cedric lowered his voice as Ron disappeared. "I owe you one for telling me about the dragons. You know that golden egg? Does yours wail when you open it?"**

'Is he telling you what to do?' Anthony questioned, raising an eyebrow.

'It's only fair,' Hannah shot back. 'Harry told him about the dragons, after all.'

" **Yeah," said Harry.**

" **Well… take a bath, okay?"**

'Erm... what?' said a lot of people in confusion.

" **What?"**

" **Take a bath, and - er - take the egg with you, and - er - just mull things over in the hot water. It'll help you think… Trust me."**

**Harry stared at him.**

" **Tell you what," Cedric said, "use the prefects' bathroom. Fourth door to the left of that statue of Boris the Bewildered on the fifth floor. Password's _pine-fresh_. Gotta go… want to say good night -"**

**He grinned at Harry again and hurried back down the stairs to Cho.**

Cho said nothing.

**Harry walked back to Gryffindor Tower alone. That had been extremely strange advice.**

People were nodding in agreement to that, wondering what the hell Cedric had meant by it.

**Why would a bath help him to work out what the wailing egg meant? Was Cedric pulling his leg? Was he trying to make Harry look like a fool, so Cho would like him even more by comparison?**

'No, he really wanted to help you,' said Cho softly, sending a small smile at Harry.

**The Fat Lady and her friend Vi were snoozing in the picture over the portrait hole. Harry had to yell "Fairy lights!" before he woke them up, and when he did, they were extremely irritated.**

'They're gonna have hangovers in the morning,' Tonks smirked.

**He climbed into the common room and found Ron and Hermione having a blazing row.**

Several people sighed and rolled their eyes.

**Standing ten feet apart, they were bellowing at each other, each scarlet in the face.**

" **Well, if you don't like it, you know what the solution is, don't you?" yelled Hermione; her hair was coming down out of its elegant bun now, and her face was screwed up in anger.**

" **Oh yeah?" Ron yelled back. "What's that?"**

" **Next time there's a ball, ask me before someone else does, and not as a last resort!"**

Hermione ignored the looks that were being sent to her.

**Ron mouthed soundlessly like a goldfish out of water**

Luna seemed to be wordlessly comparing Ron to a goldfish, judging by the way she was looking at him.

**as Hermione turned on her heel and stormed up the girls' staircase to bed. Ron turned to look at Harry.**

" **Well," he sputtered, looking thunderstruck, "well - that just proves – completely missed the point -"**

**Harry didn't say anything.**

'It's best that way,' Harry nodded.

**He liked being back on speaking terms with Ron too much to speak his mind right now - but he somehow thought that Hermione had gotten the point much better than Ron had.**

'Of course she did,' said George, causing Ron to blush.

'End of the chapter!' Sirius announced – well, shouted, actually. He threw the book down the table like it was a bomb about to go off.

Dumbledore took out his watch from his robes and looked at the time, seeming to come to a decision as he did so.

'I think we've been reading for quite long enough,' he announced to the Hall. 'We shall continue reading this tomorrow, normal time. Now, off you go, pip pip.'

At once, the Hall began to rush towards the great doors, each person glad of the chance to stretch their legs. Once out in the entrance hall, everyone split up as they went towards their respective common rooms. As Harry and Daphne walked to towards the doors neither of them noticed Ginny and Cho giving Daphne hard glares,

"Well good night," said Daphne as she turned towards Harry, 

Harry looked at her speechless, she looked stunning back-lit by the moon, there seemed to almost be halo of light 

"Goodnight," he whispered before leaning in to kiss her...


	29. Rita Skeeter's Scoop

A haze of dotted red, a flash of pain and a collection of blurred shapes and nameless faces. A rush of anger, the most terrible sort of absolute fury, and a high, cold voice, shrieking something out.

That was all that Harry could remember from his dream the previous night. Naturally, he had awoken with a headache, for lack of a better word, once again before his dorm mates. He had lain awake, hidden behind his curtains and shrouded in the welcoming, all-embracing darkness, waiting for the pain to subside in his head, waiting for the scar to reduce to nothing more than the usual prickling sensation of toothpicks being stuck strategically along the outline of the lightning bolt.

Voldemort.

That's who it came down to, always. It was Voldemort who was responsible for the happenings of these terrible things. He who tore families apart, who stole the lives of thousands, who destroyed the hearts of millions...

He walked down to the Hall with the others, as he approached the doors he spotted Daphne waiting for him, he smiled at her and moved over to greet her.

* * *

Hermione couldn't help but smile as she watched Harry walk over to Daphne, she was so pleased that Harry now had someone like that, however her smile turned to a look of concern when she saw Ginny glaring as Harry and Daphne walked into the hall,

"You, Okay" she asked, 

Ginny started, seeming surprised "Hi, I'm fine why wouldn't I be," she said very fast, she then turned and hurried into the hall,

Hermione watched her go worried,

* * *

Harry and Daphne sat down at the Gryffindor table where they were quickly joined by Astoria, Tracey, Lily, Theo and Blaise, as they finished their breakfast, Umbridge stood up

'As of now, we are continuing with the book that we didn't get to finish yesterday,' she announced to the bored-looking Hall.

Harry wasn't paying attention to her. His sleep-deprived brain and hatred of Dolores Umbridge translated her words into, ' _. Croak croak. Croak._.' It amused him.

'I shall commence with the reading.'

Translation: ' _Croaaaak. Fly croak hungry croak tongue._ '

'Rita Skeeter's Scoop.'

**Everybody got up late on Boxing Day.**

'We do that everyday in the holidays,' Fred shrugged, waving a hand nonchalantly.

"And sometimes when it isn't the holidays," grinned George ignoring his mother and McGonagall's stern looks, 

**The Gryffindor common room was much quieter than it had been lately,**

'Miracle,' Snape muttered under his breath.

**many yawns punctuating the lazy conversations. Hermione's hair was bushy again; she confessed to Harry that she had used liberal amounts of Sleekeazy's Hair Potion on it for the ball, "but it's way too much bother to do every day," she said matter-of-factly, scratching a purring Crookshanks behind the ears.**

'Lily would have taken a similar view,' Sirius chuckled.

'Unlike you,' Remus commented dryly.

**Ron and Hermione seemed to have reached an unspoken agreement not to discuss their argument.**

'This happens on a daily basis,' Seamus sighed dramatically.

"We shall be discussing that later," said Molly sternly to Ron who glared at the table, 

**They were being quite friendly to each other, though oddly formal. Ron and Harry wasted no time in telling Hermione about the conversation they had overheard between Madame Maxime and Hagrid, but Hermione didn't seem to find the news that Hagrid was a half-giant nearly as shocking as Ron did.**

" **Well, I thought he must be," she said, shrugging. "I knew he couldn't be pure giant because they're about twenty feet tall. But honestly, all this hysteria about giants. They can't _all_ be horrible… It's the same sort of prejudice that people have toward werewolves… It's just bigotry, isn't it?"**

'No,' Umbridge said interpreting herself, out loud with utmost certainty, smiling that horrid smile that put her yellowing teeth on display to the world. 'They're all monsters.'

Several people snarled at her all at once. The general gist of it was along the lines of, 'no, they're not!'

'No respect for authority,' Umbridge sniffed, looking at the students with disdain, who merely eyed her back with deep loathing.

'I do hope you don't mean yourself,' Harry ended up drawling out lazily. How odd. His brain seemed to be oddly disconnected today. Perhaps a nice nap would be in order soon.

'Would you care to repeat that, _Mr_ Potter,' Umbridge gritted out, her eyes narrowing hatefully into little slits? Harry fleetingly got the impression that she was the toad version of Uncle Vernon.

'Oh, I understood him perfectly,' Sirius jumped in, smirking. 'Why would an oversized amphibian in a pink bow have authority over humans?'

Umbridge looked ready to murder Sirius on the spot with her bare hands; however, there was the little problem of the multiple Aurors in the room now.

**Ron looked as though he would have liked to reply scathingly, but perhaps he didn't want another row, because he contented himself with shaking his head disbelievingly while Hermione wasn't looking.**

'Some of their arguments have been fairly amusing, though,' Neville pointed out, grinning wryly as he remembered the bickering that had often filled the common room.

**It was time now to think of the homework they had neglected during the first week of the holidays.**

'That is why you should get it out of the way,' said McGonagall stiffly, shaking her head.

**Everybody seemed to be feeling rather flat now that Christmas was over - everybody except Harry, that is, who was starting (once again) to feel slightly nervous.**

**The trouble was that February the twenty-fourth looked a lot closer from this side of Christmas,**

'Christmas is _so_ two-faced,' George gasped in mock-indignation, shaking his head slowly as he closed his eyes in profound horror.

**and he still hadn't done anything about working out the clue inside the golden egg. He therefore started taking the egg out of his trunk every time he went up to the dormitory, opening it, and listening intently, hoping that this time it would make some sense. He strained to think what the sound reminded him of, apart from thirty musical saws,**

Harry, Ron and Hermione shuddered at the reminder of the deathday party, 

**but he had never heard anything else like it. He closed the egg, shook it vigorously, and opened it again to see if the sound had changed, but it hadn't. He tried asking the egg questions, shouting over all the wailing, but nothing happened. He even threw the egg across the room - though he hadn't really expected that to help.**

'Temper, temper,' sang the twins in off-tune voices.

**Harry had not forgotten the hint that Cedric had given him, but his less-than-friendly feelings toward Cedric just now meant that he was keen not to take his help if he could avoid it.**

Harry smiled grimly as he remembered Crouch's words to him after the Third Task... about the streak of pride and independence that might have ruined everything.

**In any case, it seemed to him that if Cedric had really wanted to give Harry a hand, he would have been a lot more explicit. He, Harry, had told Cedric exactly what was coming in the first task - and Cedric's idea of a fair exchange had been to tell Harry to take a bath.**

'Okay, so it does seem rather... well, not very good,' Justin grimaced lightly.

**Well, he didn't need that sort of rubbishy help - not from someone who kept walking down corridors hand in hand with Cho, anyway.**

**And so the first day of the new term arrived, and Harry set off to lessons, weighed down with books, parchment, and quills as usual, but also with the lurking worry of the egg heavy in his stomach, as though he were carrying that around with him too.**

'You make strange analogies, Harry,' Luna observed quietly, 'comparing a worry to a physical weight.'

**Snow was still thick upon the grounds, and the greenhouse windows were covered in condensation so thick that they couldn't see out of them in Herbology.**

'I love it when windows are like that,' grinned Fred.

'Yeah, we can write whatever we want on them,' George snickered, obviously remembering an incident where they did exactly that.

**Nobody was looking forward to Care of Magical Creatures much in this weather, though as Ron said, the skrewts would probably warm them up nicely, either by chasing them, or blasting off so forcefully that Hagrid's cabin would catch fire.**

'Or set the Forest on fire,' Neville put in, his tone hopeful.

'We can dream, Nev,' Ron sighed dreamily.

**When they arrived at Hagrid's cabin, however, they found an elderly witch with closely cropped grey hair and a very prominent chin standing before his front door.**

Hagrid smiled. He liked Professor Grubbly-Plank. She knew her magical creatures quite well... pity she wasn't really into the thrill-factor, though.

" **Hurry up, now, the bell rang five minutes ago," she barked at them as they struggled toward her through the snow.**

'Sorry, my feet were slowly being frozen,' Lavender grumbled under her breath.

" **Who're you?" said Ron, staring at her. "Where's Hagrid?"**

" **My name is Professor Grubbly-Plank," she said briskly. "I am your temporary Care of Magical Creatures teacher."**

" **Where's Hagrid?" Harry repeated loudly.**

" **He is indisposed," said Professor Grubbly-Plank shortly.**

Hagrid winced.

**Soft and unpleasant laughter reached Harry's ears.**

Astoria decided to glare at Malfoy early, sensing what was coming.

**He turned; Draco Malfoy and the rest of the Slytherins were joining the class.**

Astoria glared harder, her suspicions confirmed.

**All of them looked gleeful, and none of them looked surprised to see Professor Grubbly-Plank.**

" **This way, please," said Professor Grubbly-Plank, and she strode off around the paddock where the Beauxbatons horses were shivering.**

'Poor horses,' Parvati cooed softly.

**Harry, Ron, and Hermione followed her, looking back over their shoulders at Hagrid's cabin. All the curtains were closed. Was Hagrid in there, alone and ill?**

" **What's wrong with Hagrid?" Harry said, hurrying to catch up with Professor Grubbly-Plank.**

" **Never you mind," she said as though she thought he was being nosy.**

'Me, _nosy_?' Harry gasped, his eyes widening comically. His head seemed to be coming back now, although the pain remained. The pain always remained. 'Well, of all of the unjust things that I've heard in my lifetime!'

'That's the worst thing you've ever heard, huh?' Daphne asked dryly, raising an eyebrow. 'Not the constant death threats or anything? No, it's the accusations of your being nosy.'

'Ah, it's nothing much,' Harry assured her, smiling it all off. No need to worry her now, not when the worst was yet to come.

Many of the adults looked unhappy at his blaise attitude, 

" **I do mind, though," said Harry hotly.**

'Which is ironic, considering how cold it was,' Luna smiled.

" **What's up with him?"**

**Professor Grubbly-Plank acted as though she couldn't hear him.**

'Hate it when adults do that,' grumbled Justin, shaking his head.

**She led them past the paddock where the huge Beauxbatons horses were standing, huddled against the cold, and toward a tree on the edge of the forest, where a large and beautiful unicorn was tethered.**

Luna frowned vaguely. Unicorns were wild creatures, made to be free. They shouldn't be tethered like the common horse.

**Many of the girls "ooooohed!" at the sight of the unicorn. "Oh it's so beautiful!" whispered Lavender Brown. "How did she get it? They're supposed to be really hard to catch!"**

'Voldemort managed it, the selfish git,' Harry muttered scathingly.

**The unicorn was so brightly white it made the snow all around look grey. It was pawing the ground nervously with its golden hooves and throwing back its horned head.**

" **Boys keep back!" barked Professor Grubbly-Plank, throwing out an arm and catching Harry hard in the chest. "They prefer the woman's touch, unicorns. Girls to the front, and approach with care, come on, easy does it…"**

**She and the girls walked slowly forward toward the unicorn, leaving the boys standing near the paddock fence, watching. The moment Professor Grubbly-Plank was out of earshot. Harry turned to Ron.**

" **What d'you reckons wrong with him? You don't think a skrewt -?"**

'It wouldn't surprise me,' said Ernie darkly, grimacing at the mention of the skrewts.

" **Oh he hasn't been attacked, Potter, if that's what you're thinking," said Malfoy softly. "No, he's just too ashamed to show his big, ugly face."**

Astoria glared at Malfoy coldly, and she wasn't the only one.

" **What d'you mean?" said Harry sharply.**

**Malfoy put his hand inside the pocket of his robes and pulled out a folded page of newsprint.**

" **There you go," he said. "Hate to break it to you, Potter…"**

**He smirked as Harry snatched the page, unfolded it, and read it, with Ron, Seamus, Dean, and Neville looking over his shoulder. It was an article topped with a picture of Hagrid looking extremely shifty.**

**_DUMBLEDORE_ ' _S GIANT MISTAKE_**

Many people's eyes narrowed, aside from the obvious exception. _How the hell did she find out,_ was the question going through everyone's minds, and so Bill decided to voice it.

'Oh, ways,' said Ron evasively.

'She was a right pest, what with her buzzing around for information,' said Hermione shiftily, smiling innocently.

'You're not going to tell us, are you?' Seamus groaned, rubbing his eyes.

'Nope,' Ron confirmed, popping the _p_.

'Although, you'll be pleased to know that she didn't manage to _beetle_ her way out of punishment,' Harry grinned, and he, Ron and Hermione exchanged conspirational glances.

_**Albus Dumbledore, eccentric Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, has never been afraid to make controversial staff appointments,** _

'Screw the system!' Lee announced in a pompous voice, sniffing.

**_writes Rita Skeeter, Special Correspondent. In September of this year, he hired Alastor_ " _Mad-Eye_ " _Moody, the notoriously jinx-happy ex-Auror, to teach Defence Against the Dark Arts, a decision that caused many raised eyebrows at the Ministry of Magic, given Moody_ ' _s well-known habit of attacking anybody who makes a sudden movement in his presence._**

'Constant vigilance,' Mad-Eye growled, his good eye narrowing.

_**Mad-Eye Moody, however, looks responsible and kindly when set beside the part-human Dumbledore employs to teach Care of Magical Creatures.** _

'Hagrid is one of the nicest people you'll ever meet,' protested a bold third-year girl, glaring into nothing.

_**Rubeus Hagrid, who admits to being expelled from Hogwarts in his third year, has enjoyed the position of gamekeeper at the school ever since a job secured for him by Dumbledore. Last year, however, Hagrid used his mysterious influence over the headmaster to secure the additional post of Care of Magical Creatures teacher, over the heads of many better-qualified candidates.** _

'Actually, to be a Care of Magical Creatures teacher, you need to know about the animals and have some sort of bond with them. Not everyone has that, but Hagrid does,' said Charlie firmly, sticking up for his old friend.

_**An alarmingly large and ferocious-looking man,** _

'Lies!'

**_Hagrid has been using his newfound authority to terrify the students in his care with a succession of horrific creatures. While Dumbledore turns a blind eye, Hagrid has maimed several pupils during a series of lessons that many admit to being_ " _very frightening._ " " _I was attacked by a hippogriff,_**

'No, you _insulted_ the hippogriff _after_ Hagrid specifically said _not_ to,' Susan growled at him.

Malfoy didn't respond, 

**_and my friend Vincent Crabbe got a bad bite off a flobberworm,_ " _says Draco Malfoy, a fourth-year student._**

'Flobberworms don't even have teeth!' Dean said angrily, glaring across the Hall at the Slytherin table in general.

" ** _We all hate Hagrid, but we_ ' _re just too scared to say anything._ "**

The whole of the Gryffindor team, past or otherwise, looked ready to lunge at Malfoy and tear his throat out for that comment. Bill was looking warily at Charlie, who was growling remarkably like a dragon.

'Despicable boy,' Mrs Weasley muttered under her breath to her husband.

Narcissa had a look of deep disappointment on her face, 

**_Hagrid has no intention of ceasing his campaign of intimidation, however. In conversation with a Daily Prophet reporter last month, he admitted breeding creatures he has dubbed_ " _Blast-Ended Skrewts,_ " _highly dangerous crosses between manti-cores and fire-crabs._**

Umbridge smiled nastily, her great toad-like face contorting into something less than human. Finally, something to get the half-breed on...

_**The creation of new breeds of magical creature is, of course, an activity usually closely observed by the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. Hagrid, however, considers himself to be above such petty restrictions.** _

" ** _I was just having some fun,_ " _he says, before hastily changing the subject. As if this were not enough, the Daily Prophet has now unearthed evidence_**

' _Unearthed evidence_ ,' scoffed Hermione, shaking her head.

_**that Hagrid is not - as he has always pretended - a pure-blood wizard.** _

'Hagrid never even mentioned what his blood-status might have been,' Justin pointed out. 'So now she's jumping to assumptions as well?'

'Well, Justin, I think we've all realised that she's the human version of a cockroach,' said Ron pleasantly, grinning.

_**He is not, in fact, even pure human.** _

'Neither is Professor Umbridge!' Lee whispered loudly, glancing pointedly at the Staff Table. 'She's part amphibious creature!'

_**His mother, we can exclusively reveal, is none other than the giantess Fridwulfa, whose whereabouts are currently unknown. Bloodthirsty and brutal, the giants brought themselves to the point of extinction by warring amongst themselves during the last century. The handful that remained joined the ranks of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, and were responsible for some of the worst mass Muggle killings of his reign of terror.** _

'They joined with Lord Voldemort because of the discrimination that they suffered at the hands of wizards, the injustice,' Kingsley said calmly, speaking for the first time since the reading began. 'A lot of our past misdeeds have come back to haunt us. There is a Muggle saying that illuminates the point: _do unto others as you would have them do unto you_. We treated them cruelly, so they responded with fury tenfold.'

**_While many of the giants who served He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named were killed by Aurors working against the Dark Side, Fridwulfa was not among them. It is possible she escaped to one of the giant communities still existing in foreign mountain ranges. If his antics during Care of Magical Creatures lessons are any guide, however, Fridwulfa_ ' _s son appears to have inherited her brutal nature._**

'He has not!' Charlie growled louder than ever, looking enraged at this woman. His siblings wondered if Rita Skeeter would be found as charred remains the next day.

Hagrid looked heartened that so many were sticking up for him over that article.

**_In a bizarre twist, Hagrid is reputed to have developed a close friendship with the boy who brought around You-Know-Who_ ' _s fall from power -_**

'It's not a _bizarre twist_ ,' Harry spat, his eyes narrowing.

**_thereby driving Hagrid_ ' _s own mother, like the rest of You-Know-Who_ ' _s supporters, into hiding. Perhaps Harry Potter is unaware of the unpleasant truth about his large friend – but Albus Dumbledore surely has a duty to ensure that Harry Potter, along with his fellow students, is warned about the dangers of associating with part-giants._**

' _Dangers_ ,' Hermione repeated, scoffing and rolling her eyes with utter disdain.

**Harry finished reading and looked up at Ron, whose mouth was hanging open.**

" **How did she find out?" he whispered.**

**But that wasn't what was bothering Harry.**

" **What d'you mean, 'we all hate Hagrid'?" Harry spat at Malfoy. "What's this rubbish about _him_ " - he pointed at Crabbe - "getting a bad bite off a flobberworm? They haven't even got teeth!"**

'Exactly!' Ron glared angrily.

**Crabbe was sniggering, apparently very pleased with himself.**

'He's pleased with himself because he can count to five,' Astoria commented airily. 'Even then he's using his fingers.'

Daphne grinned at her sister,

" **Well, I think this should put an end to the oaf's teaching career," said Malfoy, his eyes glinting. "Half-giant… and there was me thinking he'd just swallowed a bottle of Skele-Gro when he was young… None of the mummies and daddies are going to like this at all… They'll be worried he'll eat their kids, ha, ha…"**

'Oh, you're hilarious, Malfoy,' Fred laughed humourlessly as others around the Hall glared at the Slytherin.

'Really witty,' George agreed tonelessly.

" **You-"**

" **Are you paying attention over there?"**

**Professor Grubbly-Planks voice carried over to the boys; the girls were all clustered around the unicorn now, stroking it. Harry was so angry that the _Daily Prophet_ article shook in his hands as he turned to stare unseeingly at the unicorn,**

'You know he's angry when he does that,' said Ron knowingly.

**whose many magical properties Professor Grubbly-Plank was now enumerating in a loud voice, so that the boys could hear too.**

" **I hope she stays, that woman!" said Parvati Patil when the lesson had ended and they were all heading back to the castle for lunch. "That's more what I thought Care of Magical Creatures would be like… proper creatures like unicorns, not monsters…"**

'Sorry,' Parvati winced, realising how bad that might have sounded.

" **What about Hagrid?" Harry said angrily as they went up the steps.**

" **What about him?" said Parvati in a hard voice. "He can still be gamekeeper, can't he?"**

**Parvati had been very cool toward Harry since the ball. He supposed that he ought to have paid her a bit more attention, but she seemed to have had a good time all the same. She was certainly telling anybody who would listen that she had made arrangements to meet the boy from Beauxbatons in Hogsmeade on the next weekend trip.**

" **That was a really good lesson," said Hermione as they entered the Great Hall.**

'You think every lesson is good,' Ron muttered under his breath, and Harry snickered quietly.

" **I didn't know half the things Professor Grubbly-Plank told us about uni-"**

" **Look at this!" Harry snarled,**

'Okay, you're definitely angry,' Ernie observed evenly.

**and he shoved the _Daily Prophet_ article under Hermione's nose.**

**Hermione's mouth fell open as she read. Her reaction was exactly the same as Ron's.**

" **How did that horrible Skeeter woman find out? You don't think Hagrid _told_ her?"**

'I wouldn' tell her,' Hagrid growled, shaking his head.

" **No," said Harry, leading the way over to the Gryffindor table and throwing himself into a chair, furious. "He never even told us, did he? I reckon she was so mad he wouldn't give her loads of horrible stuff about me, she went ferreting around to get him back."**

'Maybe I can get something published detailing everything that dear old Rita got up to in school,' sighed Sirius, smirking evilly.

" **Maybe she heard him telling Madame Maxime at the ball," said Hermione quietly.**

" **We'd have seen her in the garden!" said Ron. "Anyway, she's not supposed to come into school anymore, Hagrid said Dumbledore banned her…"**

'With good reason,' McGonagall said stiffly.

" **Maybe she's got an Invisibility Cloak," said Harry, ladling chicken casserole onto his plate and splashing it everywhere in his anger.**

'Don't take it out on the food, mate,' Ron said as calmly as he could, closing his eyes in his horror at the treatment of the casserole.

" **Sort of thing she'd do, isn't it, hide in bushes listening to people."**

" **Like you and Ron did, you mean," said Hermione.**

" **We weren't trying to hear him!" said Ron indignantly. "We didn't have any choice! The stupid prat, talking about his giantess mother where anyone could have heard him!"**

Hagrid looked sheepish.

" **We've got to go and see him," said Harry. "This evening, after Divination. Tell him we want him back… you do want him back?" he shot at Hermione.**

" **I - well, I'm not going to pretend it didn't make a nice change, having a proper Care of Magical Creatures lesson for once - but I do want Hagrid back, of course I do!" Hermione added hastily, quailing under Harry's furious stare.**

'You're quite scary when you're furious,' said Ron quietly, shuddering at the memory of Harry's rant at Grimmauld Place in August.

**So that evening after dinner, the three of them left the castle once more and went down through the frozen grounds to Hagrid's cabin. They knocked, and Fang's booming barks answered.**

" **Hagrid, it's us!" Harry shouted, pounding on the door. "Open up!"**

**Hagrid didn't answer. They could hear Fang scratching at the door, whining, but it didn't open. They hammered on it for ten more minutes;**

'Persistent, aren't you?' Terry snickered in amusement.

**Ron even went and banged on one of the windows, but there was no response.**

" **What's he avoiding _us_ for?" Hermione said when they had finally given up and were walking back to the school. "He surely doesn't think we'd care about him being half-giant?"**

**But it seemed that Hagrid did care.**

Hagrid sighed quietly.

**They didn't see a sign of him all week. He didn't appear at the staff table at mealtimes, they didn't see him going about his gamekeeper duties on the grounds, and Professor Grubbly-Plank continued to take the Care of Magical Creatures classes. Malfoy was gloating at every possible opportunity.**

'Of course he was,' said Astoria coolly. Malfoy felt slightly stung by the lack of anything but disdain in her tone.

" **Missing your half-breed pal?" he kept whispering to Harry whenever there was a teacher around, so that he was safe from Harry's retaliation. "Missing the elephant man?"**

**There was a Hogsmeade visit halfway through January. Hermione was very surprised that Harry was going to go.**

" **I just thought you'd want to take advantage of the common room being quiet," she said. "Really get to work on that egg."**

'And why would he want to do that?' Charlie asked, raising an eyebrow sceptically. 'Hogsmeade is a chance to relax. I doubt he'd want to miss that.'

" **Oh I - I reckon I've got a pretty good idea what it's about now," Harry lied.**

" **Have you really?" said Hermione, looking impressed. "Well done!"**

**Harry's insides gave a guilty squirm, but he ignored them. He still had five weeks to work out that egg clue, after all, and that was ages…**

'A stitch in time saves nine,' Luna recited cheerfully.

**whereas if he went into Hogsmeade, he might run into Hagrid, and get a chance to persuade him to come back.**

**He, Ron, and Hermione left the castle together on Saturday and set off through the cold, wet grounds toward the gates. As they passed the Durmstrang ship moored in the lake, they saw Viktor Krum emerge onto the deck, dressed in nothing but swimming trunks.**

Fred and George were smirking pointedly at Hermione, who ignored them.

**He was very skinny indeed, but apparently a lot tougher than he looked, because he climbed up onto the side of the ship, stretched out his arms, and dived, right into the lake.**

'As you do,' Lee commented, nodding solemnly.

" **He's mad!" said Harry, staring at Krums dark head as it bobbed out into the middle of the lake. "It must be freezing, it's January!"**

" **It's a lot colder where he comes from," said Hermione. "I suppose it feels quite warm to him."**

" **Yeah, but there's still the giant squid," said Ron. He didn't sound anxious – if anything, he sounded hopeful.**

A few people snickered.

**Hermione noticed his tone of voice and frowned.**

" **He's really nice, you know," she said. "He's not at all like you'd think, coming from Durmstrang. He likes it much better here, he told me."**

'Of course he'd like it better here!' proclaimed a third year. 'This is Hogwarts!'

**Ron said nothing. He hadn't mentioned Viktor Krum since the ball, but Harry had found a miniature arm under his bed on Boxing Day, which had looked very much as though it had been snapped off a small model figure wearing Bulgarian Quidditch robes.**

'I think Ronniekins was trying to practise Voodoo,' Fred whispered loudly to his twin, who smirked in agreement.

**Harry kept his eyes skinned for a sign of Hagrid all the way down the slushy High Street, and suggested a visit to the Three Broomsticks once he had ascertained that Hagrid was not in any of the shops.**

**The pub was as crowded as ever, but one quick look around at all the tables told Harry that Hagrid wasn't there. Heart sinking,**

'Sinking like a ship beneath panes of ice,' George gasped dramatically, clutching his chest for added effect.

'Nice to know you haven't changed,' Charlie commented, looking from one twin to the other.

'Why would we want to do that?' Fred asked in shock, eyes widening.

**he went up to the bar with Ron and Hermione, ordered three butterbeers from Madam Rosmerta, and thought gloomily that he might just as well have stayed behind and listened to the egg wailing after all.**

" **Doesn't he _ever_ go into the office?" Hermione whispered suddenly. "Look!"**

**She pointed into the mirror behind the bar, and Harry saw Ludo Bagman reflected there, sitting in a shadowy corner with a bunch of goblins.**

'That concludes he's not a vampire, then,' sighed Lee, shaking his head.

**Bagman was talking very fast in a low voice to the goblins, all of whom had their arms crossed and were looking rather menacing.**

'What'd he do to annoy the goblins?' Bill asked, a frown in place.

'Stuff,' Harry replied absent-mindedly.

**It was indeed odd,**

Bill frowned thoughtfully, an expression mirrored by Amelia.

**Harry thought, that Bagman was here at the Three Broomsticks on a weekend when there was no Triwizard event, and therefore no judging to be done. He watched Bagman in the mirror. He was looking strained again, quite as strained as he had that night in the forest before the Dark Mark had appeared.**

'If he's stressed when he's talking to angry goblins, he owes them money,' Bill said with certainty, having seen people like that in the past, and knowing how nasty goblins could get if they were owed something.

**But just then Bagman glanced over at the bar, saw Harry, and stood up.**

" **In a moment, in a moment!" Harry heard him say brusquely to the goblins, and Bagman hurried through the pub toward Harry, his boyish grin back in place.**

" **Harry!" he said. "How are you?**

'Smashing,' said Fred airily, waving a hand.

'Marvellous,' George grinned.

'Corking,' Lee snickered.

**Been hoping to run into you!**

'Why?' Susan asked.

**Everything going all right?"**

" **Fine, thanks," said Harry.**

" **Wonder if I could have a quick, private word, Harry?" said Bagman eagerly.**

'Why would he want a private word?' Charlie asked in small confusion.

" **You couldn't give us a moment, you two, could you?"**

" **Er - okay," said Ron, and he and Hermione went off to find a table.**

Bill looked curious, as did several Aurors

**Bagman led Harry along the bar to the end furthest from Madam Rosmerta.**

" **Well, I just thought I'd congratulate you again on your splendid performance against that Horntail, Harry," said Bagman. "Really superb."**

" **Thanks," said Harry, but he knew this couldn't be all that Bagman wanted to say, because he could have congratulated Harry in front of Ron and Hermione.**

'Something's off with Bagman,' Mad-Eye said suspiciously echoing several peoples' thoughts, his good eye narrowing.

**Bagman didn't seem in any particular rush to spill the beans, though. Harry saw him glance into the mirror over the bar at the goblins,**

'Which I don't think he meant for you to see,' Justin said with a small snicker.

**who were all watching him and Harry in silence through their dark, slanting eyes.**

" **Absolute nightmare," said Bagman to Harry in an undertone, noticing Harry watching the goblins too. "Their English isn't too good… it's like being back with all the Bulgarians at the Quidditch World Cup…**

'Ah yes, the chappie who allegedly wanted a pair of tweezers,' Lee laughed heartily in an overly pompous voice.

**but at least _they_ used sign language another human could recognize.**

'Mr Fudge was good at sign language,' an innocent first year piped up from somewhere at the back of the Hall, causing sniggers to break out and Fudge to turn red.

**This lot keep gabbling in Gobbledegook… and I only know one word of Gobbledegook. _Bladvak_. It means 'pickaxe.'**

'Which will come in handy if you so happen to be immersed in a conversation about the finer points of pickaxes,' Daphne said with a hint of humor.

'You never know,' Harry couldn't help but grin. 'Stranger things have happened.'

'Yeah. Things that _you_ have been involved in.'

**I don't like to use it in case they think I'm threatening them." He gave a short, booming laugh.**

" **What do they want?" Harry said, noticing how the goblins were still watching Bagman very closely.**

" **Er - well…" said Bagman, looking suddenly nervous. "They… er… they're looking for Barty Crouch."**

Bill was almost certain that Bagman owed the goblins money.

" **Why are they looking for him here?" said Harry. "He's at the Ministry in London, isn't he?"**

" **Er… as a matter of fact, I've no idea where he is," said Bagman. "He's sort of… stopped coming to work.**

'There's no _sort of_ about that,' Amelia frowned. Maybe they'd find out why Barty hadn't been coming into work in those weeks. Nobody had really said why.

**Been absent for a couple of weeks now. Young Percy, his assistant, says he's ill. Apparently he's just been sending instructions in by owl. But would you mind not mentioning that to anyone Harry? Because Rita Skeeter's still poking around everywhere she can, and I'm willing to bet she'd work up Barty's illness into something sinister.**

Harry internally winced as he thought about how it _had_ been more sinister than an illness.

**Probably say he's gone missing like Bertha Jorkins."**

" **Have you heard anything about Bertha Jorkins?" Harry asked.**

" **No," said Bagman, looking strained again. "I've got people looking, of course…"**

'Apparently, it was futile,' Amelia murmured sadly, her eyes looking oddly downcast as she thought back to the revelations of the first chapter.

**(About time, thought Harry) "and it's all very strange. She definitely _arrived_ in Albania, because she met her second cousin there. And then she left the cousin's house to go south and see an aunt… and she seems to have vanished without trace en route.**

'He made sure there was no trace of her,' Harry muttered in disgust.

**Blowed if I can see where she's got to… she doesn't seem the type to elope, for instance… but still… What are we doing, talking about goblins and Bertha Jorkins? I really wanted to ask you" - he lowered his voice - "how are you getting on with your golden egg?"**

'Why is that of any consequence to him?' Hannah asked, looking slightly confused for the most part.

" **Er… not bad," Harry said untruthfully.**

'But not brilliant either,' said Fred brightly, smiling.

**Bagman seemed to know he wasn't being honest.**

" **Listen, Harry," he said (still in a very low voice), "I feel very bad about all this… you were thrown into this tournament, you didn't volunteer for it… and if…" (his voice was so quiet now, Harry had to lean closer to listen) "if I can help at all… a prod in the right direction…**

A few people, mostly adults, were shaking their heads and closing their eyes.

**I've taken a liking to you… the way you got past that dragon… well, just say the word."**

**Harry stared up into Bagman's round, rosy face and his wide, baby-blue eyes.**

" **We're supposed to work out the clues alone, aren't we?" he said, careful to keep his voice casual and not sound as though he was accusing the head of the Department of Magical Games and Sports of breaking the rules.**

'He seemed to buy it,' Harry snickered.

" **Well… well, yes," said Bagman impatiently, "but - come on. Harry - we all want a Hogwarts victory, don't we?"**

" **Have you offered Cedric help?" Harry said.**

**The smallest of frowns creased Bagman's smooth face. "No, I haven't," he said. "I - well, like I say, I've taken a liking to you. Just thought I'd offer…"**

" **Well, thanks," said Harry, "but I think I'm nearly there with the egg… couple more days should crack it."**

**He wasn't entirely sure why he was refusing Bagman's help, except that Bagman was almost a stranger to him, and accepting his assistance would feel somehow much more like cheating than asking advice from Ron, Hermione, or Sirius.**

Hermione looked like she was torn between frowning and smiling. Ron and Sirius just grinned identical smiles.

**Bagman looked almost affronted, but couldn't say much more as Fred and George turned up at that point.**

'You saved me!' Harry gasped dramatically.

" **Hello, Mr. Bagman," said Fred brightly. "Can we buy you a drink?"**

'Why would you want to buy him a drink?' Mrs Weasley asked suspiciously.

'Oh, details, details,' Fred commented elusively.

" **Er… no," said Bagman, with a last disappointed glance at Harry, "no, thank you, boys…"**

**Fred and George looked quite as disappointed as Bagman, who was surveying Harry as though he had let him down badly.**

'How could you let him down, Harry?' Terry gasped, unable to keep the faint chuckle from his voice.

" **Well, I must dash," he said. "Nice seeing you all. Good luck, Harry."**

**He hurried out of the pub. The goblins all slid off their chairs and exited after him. Harry went to rejoin Ron and Hermione.**

" **What did he want?" Ron said, the moment Harry had sat down.**

" **He offered to help me with the golden egg," said Harry.**

'Which he shouldn't have done,' said McGonagall disapprovingly.

" **He shouldn't be doing that!" said Hermione, looking very shocked. "He's one of the judges! And anyway, you've already worked it out - haven't you?"**

" **Er… nearly," said Harry.**

'Translation; no,' Sirius laughed.

" **Well, I don't think Dumbledore would like it if he knew Bagman was trying to persuade you to cheat!" said Hermione, still looking deeply disapproving. "I hope he's trying to help Cedric as much!"**

" **He's not, I asked," said Harry.**

" **Who cares if Diggory's getting help?" said Ron. Harry privately agreed.**

" **Those goblins didn't look very friendly," said Hermione, sipping her butterbeer. "What were they doing here?"**

Bill continued to frown thoughtfully in agreement.

'Why're you pulling a face now?' Charlie asked, raising an eyebrow.

'Thinking,' Bill replied, his face unchanging.

'Careful, then. Wouldn't want your face to be like that forever. Fleur would disapprove.'

Bill glared at his snickering brother whilst Fleur smiled good-naturedly 

" **Looking for Crouch, according to Bagman," said Harry. "He's still ill. Hasn't been into work."**

" **Maybe Percy's poisoning him," said Ron. "Probably thinks if Crouch snuffs it he'll be made head of the Department of International Magical Cooperation."**

Percy frowned this time. His brother didn't really think that he'd do that, did he? Then again, he didn't really know what his family thought of him now, other than the obvious resentment towards him.

**Hermione gave Ron a don't-joke-about-things-like-that look,**

'I know that look as well,' Harry sighed.

**and said, "Funny, goblins looking for Mr. Crouch… They'd normally deal with the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures."**

" **Crouch can speak loads of different languages, though," said Harry. "Maybe they need an interpreter."**

" **Worrying about poor 'ickle goblins, now, are you?" Ron asked Hermione.**

'The goblins wouldn't appreciate being called that,' Bill chuckled.

" **Thinking of starting up S.P.U.G. or something? Society for the Protection of Ugly Goblins?"**

Luna frowned as the vast majority of people laughed. It wasn't nice to make fun of creatures.

" **Ha, ha, ha," said Hermione sarcastically. "Goblins don't need protection. Haven't you been listening to what Professor Binns has been telling us about goblin rebellions?"**

Seamus and Dean raised their eyebrows at Hermione.

" **No," said Harry and Ron together.**

'Without any hesitation,' Justin laughed.

" **Well, they're quite capable of dealing with wizards," said Hermione, taking another sip of butterbeer. "They're very clever.**

Bill nodded to that.

**They're not like house-elves, who never stick up for themselves."**

" **Uh-oh," said Ron, staring at the door.**

**Rita Skeeter had just entered.**

'Hide!' squeaked a first year.

**She was wearing banana-yellow robes today;**

'Why, oh why?' Lavender whimpered, shaking her head.

**her long nails were painted shocking pink, and she was accompanied by her paunchy photographer. She bought drinks, and she and the photographer made their way through the crowds to a table nearby, Harry, Ron, and Hermione glaring at her as she approached. She was talking fast and looking very satisfied about something.**

"… **didn't seem very keen to talk to us, did he, Bozo? Now, why would that be, do you think?**

'Because no one likes you, you lying hag?' Sirius suggested casually.

**And what's he doing with a pack of goblins in town anyway? Showing them the sights… what nonsense…**

'Okay, that is nonsense,' Susan conceded grudgingly.

**he was always a bad liar. Reckon something's up? Think we should do a bit of digging? _Disgraced Ex-Head of Magical Games and Sports, Ludo Bagman…_ Snappy start to a sentence, Bozo - we just need to find a story to fit it -"**

Amelia sighed, shaking her head slowly and closing her eyes.

" **Trying to ruin someone else's life?" said Harry loudly.**

**A few people looked around. Rita Skeeter's eyes widened behind her jewelled spectacles as she saw who had spoken.**

" **Harry!" she said, beaming. "How lovely! Why don't you come and join-?"**

'And why would he do that?' Daphne asked, raising an eyebrow.

" **I wouldn't come near you with a ten-foot broomstick," said Harry furiously.**

'At least you agree with me,' Ginny grinned slightly.

" **What did you do that to Hagrid for, eh?"**

**Rita Skeeter raised her heavily pencilled eyebrows.**

Lavender and Parvati collectively shuddered as one.

" **Our readers have a right to the truth, Harry. I am merely doing my-"**

'No, you're not doing your job,you disgusting little leech,' said Tonks angrily, speaking for the first time in a while, since she'd been keeping her mouth closed to keep her insults to that woman silent. 'You're just taking the lives of others as you please, twisting it and spreading it around so they end up in ruins.' Her hair had gradually been turning an angry crimson in the duration that she had been talking.

'Calm down, T,' said Charlie quickly in a reassuring tone. Having been close friends with her in school, he knew the temper she could get. 'Hagrid's fine now.'

'It doesn't excuse the fact that she did that horrible article on him!' Tonks hissed venomously.

'I know, I know,' Charlie said soothingly. 'I'm sure karma will go back to get her in the end.'

'It had better, otherwise I'm going after her myself. I can get her done for infringement, you know, publishing that article without the consent of the subject himself.'

" **Who cares if he's half-giant?" Harry shouted. "There's nothing wrong with him!"**

'Exactly!' Tonks agreed furiously, sending Harry a swift nod.

**The whole pub had gone very quiet. Madam Rosmerta was staring over from behind the bar, apparently oblivious to the fact that the flagon she was filling with mead was overflowing.**

**Rita Skeeters smile flickered very slightly, but she hitched it back almost at once;**

'Observant to notice that,' Mad-Eye muttered to Kingsley under his breath at the Staff Table.

'Potential Auror?' Kingsley inquired, knowing that Mad-Eye could sense a good future Auror from a mile away.

'Positively.'

**she snapped open her crocodile-skin handbag,**

Luna's eyes burned uncharacteristically at the mention of the crocodile-skin handbag, wondering how many poor crocodiles, and other unfortunate animals, had been killed for the sake of _fashion._ Such a worthy cause indeed, denying an animal their skin because humans weren't comfortable with their own.

**pulled out her Quick-Quotes Quill, and said, "How about giving me an interview about the Hagrid _you_ know, Harry? The man behind the muscles? Your unlikely friendship and the reasons behind it.**

'Why would it be an unlikely friendship?' Neville asked with a frown of confusion.

**Would you call him a father substitute?"**

**Hermione stood up very abruptly, her butterbeer clutched in her hand as though it were a grenade.**

'Oh, _please_ throw it at her!' Tonks was all but begging.

" **You horrible woman," she said, through gritted teeth, "you don't care, do you, anything for a story, and anyone will do, won't they? Even Ludo Bagman -"**

" **Sit down, you silly little girl, and don't talk about things you don't understand,"**

'Wow, echoing dear old Snape's words,' Lee muttered under his breath.

**said Rita Skeeter coldly, her eyes hardening as they fell on Hermione. "I know things about Ludo Bagman that would make your hair curl… _not_ that it needs it -" she added, eyeing Hermione's bushy hair.**

" **Let's go," said Hermione, "c'mon. Harry - Ron…"**

**They left; many people were staring at them as they went. Harry glanced back as they reached the door. Rita Skeeter's Quick-Quotes Quill was out; it was zooming backward and forward over a piece of parchment on the table.**

'She's going to do something,' Tonks said through gritted teeth, her eyes narrowed disdainfully.

" **She'll be after you next, Hermione," said Ron in a low and worried voice as they walked quickly back up the street.**

" **Let her try!" said Hermione defiantly; she was shaking with rage.**

'Oh, this might end badly for Rita,' chuckled Anthony. 'Remember the Malfoy Incident?'

The rest of the Hall laughed at the reminder of Malfoy getting smacked in the face.

" **I'll show her! Silly little girl, am I? Oh, I'll get her back for this.**

'Did you?' Tonks asked quickly, her hand dangerously close to the pocket where her wand was.

'Oh, you could say that,' Hermione smiled mysteriously

**First Harry, then Hagrid…"**

" **You don't want to go upsetting Rita Skeeter," said Ron nervously. "I'm serious, Hermione, she'll dig up something on you -"**

'As if Hermione will care,' Padma laughed.

" **My parents don't read the _Daily Prophet_. She can't scare me into hiding!" said Hermione, now striding along so fast that it was all Harry and Ron could do to keep up with her.**

'That's how it feels for us when you do that, mate,' Ron said to Harry, who winced in sympathy.

**The last time Harry had seen Hermione in a rage like this, she had hit Draco Malfoy around the face.**

'You should've hit Rita around the face,' Remus commented lightly, although there was the undertone of hate there.

'Never thought you'd be the type to condone violence, Remus,' said Mr Weasley casually.

'I don't, usually,' Remus replied in the same light tone. 'But I think Rita deserves it, don't you?'

Mr Weasley couldn't disagree there.

" **And Hagrid isn't hiding anymore! He should _never_ have let that excuse for a human being upset him! Come _on_!"**

**Breaking into a run, she led them all the way back up the road, through the gates flanked by winged boars, and up through the grounds to Hagrid's cabin. The curtains were still drawn, and they could hear Fang barking as they approached.**

" **Hagrid!" Hermione shouted, pounding on his front door.**

'I was imagining that the door was Rita's face,' Hermione admitted with a small grin. 'Punching out all of her horrid teeth for what she did.'

" **Hagrid, that's enough! We know you're in there! Nobody cares if your mum was a giantess, Hagrid! You can't let that foul Skeeter woman do this to you! Hagrid, get out here, you're just being -"**

**The door opened. Hermione said, "About t-!" and then stopped, very suddenly, because she had found herself face-to-face, not with Hagrid, but with Albus Dumbledore.**

'Ah, awkward moment,' laughed Ernie.

" **Good afternoon," he said pleasantly, smiling down at them.**

" **We-er-we wanted to see Hagrid," said Hermione in a rather small voice.**

'Funnily enough, I think he would have gotten that,' George snorted.

" **Yes, I surmised as much," said Dumbledore, his eyes twinkling. "Why don't you come in?"**

" **Oh… um… okay," said Hermione.**

**She, Ron, and Harry went into the cabin; Fang launched himself upon Harry the moment he entered, barking madly and trying to lick his ears.**

A few people chuckled, Dumbledore included.

**Harry fended off Fang and looked around.**

**Hagrid was sitting at his table, where there were two large mugs of tea. He looked a real mess. His face was blotchy, his eyes swollen, and he had gone to the other extreme where his hair was concerned; far from trying to make it behave, it now looked like a wig of tangled wire.**

Harry sighed in sympathy. He knew what it was like, to just stop caring about everything, including your own appearance.

" **Hi, Hagrid," said Harry.**

**Hagrid looked up.**

"' **Lo," he said in a very hoarse voice.**

" **More tea, I think," said Dumbledore,**

'I'd like a cappuccino, actually,' said Lee in a stuck up voice.

**closing the door behind Harry, Ron, and Hermione, drawing out his wand, and twiddling it; a revolving tea tray appeared in midair along with a plate of cakes.**

**Dumbledore magicked the tray onto the table, and everybody sat down. There was a slight pause, and then Dumbledore said, "Did you by any chance hear what Miss Granger was shouting, Hagrid?"**

'I'm sure the whole of Hogsmeade heard,' Fred snorted.

'You've got quite a pair of lungs, Hermione,' George winked at her teasingly.

'Although, we have to say that Harry has the loudest shout,' Fred concluded, thinking back to the previous summer.

**Hermione went slightly pink, but Dumbledore smiled at her and continued, "Hermione, Harry, and Ron still seem to want to know you, judging by the way they were attempting to break down the door."**

'No, that was just Hermione,' Harry laughed.

" **Of course we still want to know you!" Harry said, staring at Hagrid. "You don't think anything that Skeeter cow -**

The Hall began laughing at that, Tonks being among the loudest. Mad-Eye obviously noticed, and he rolled his eyes.

**sorry, Professor," he added quickly, looking at Dumbledore.**

" **I have gone temporarily deaf and haven't any idea what you said, Harry," said Dumbledore, twiddling his thumbs and staring at the ceiling.**

'He could probably get away with murder. Dumbledore would just say he's gone temporarily blind,' Snape muttered under his breath.

" **Er-right," said Harry sheepishly. "I just meant-Hagrid, how could you think we'd care what that-woman-wrote about you?"**

**Two fat tears leaked out of Hagrid's beetle-black eyes and fell slowly into his tangled beard.**

" **Living proof of what I've been telling you, Hagrid," said Dumbledore, still looking carefully up at the ceiling. "I have shown you the letters from the countless parents who remember you from their own days here, telling me in no uncertain terms that if I sacked you, they would have something to say about it -"**

'We most certainly would,' Mrs Weasley agreed, nodding furiously.

" **Not all of 'em," said Hagrid hoarsely. "Not all of 'em wan me ter stay."**

'Are you really counting the Malfoys?' Lisa asked, raising an eyebrow.

" **Really, Hagrid, if you are holding out for universal popularity, I'm afraid you will be in this cabin for a very long time," said Dumbledore, now peering sternly over his half-moon spectacles.**

'Until the end of everything's existence,' Ron nodded in agreement, sending a swift smile to Hagrid.

" **Not a week has passed since I became headmaster of this school when I haven't had at least one owl complaining about the way I run it.**

'From the pureblood extremists, I'd bet,' muttered Sirius darkly glancing at Lucius 

**But what should I do? Barricade myself in my study and refuse to talk to anybody?"**

" **Yeh - yeh're not half-giant!" said Hagrid croakily.**

" **Hagrid, look what I've got for relatives!" Harry said furiously. "Look at the Dursleys!"**

Several people's eyes darkened at the mention of the Dursleys, and some started muttering darkly again.

" **An excellent point," said Professor Dumbledore. "My own brother, Aberforth, was prosecuted for practising inappropriate charms on a goat.**

A few people raised their eyebrows suggestively, particularly teenage boys.

**It was all over the papers, but did Aberforth hide? No, he did not! He held his head high and went about his business as usual! Of course, I'm not entirely sure he can read, so that may not have been bravery…"**

" **Come back and teach, Hagrid," said Hermione quietly, "please come back, we really miss you."**

**Hagrid gulped. More tears leaked out down his cheeks and into his tangled beard. Dumbledore stood up. "I refuse to accept your resignation, Hagrid, and I expect you back at work on Monday," he said. "You will join me for breakfast at eight-thirty in the Great Hall. No excuses. Good afternoon to you all."**

'Heh, not even taking _no_ for an answer,' snorted Sirius.

**Dumbledore left the cabin, pausing only to scratch Fangs ears. When the door had shut behind him, Hagrid began to sob into his dustbin-lid-sized hands. Hermione kept patting his arm, and at last, Hagrid looked up, his eyes very red indeed, and said, "Great man, Dumbledore… great man…"**

Dumbledore looked at his hands, the lines in the skin revealing his age. Oh, the things he had done made up for the majority of his past misdeeds and the misguided sense of grandeur of his youth, but nothing he ever did, no matter how _great_ some might define it to be, would ever come close to atoning for the death of his sister. Never, in a thousand years, or even a million, would he ever be able to rectify that mistake, that ultimate sacrifice to show how foolish he had been to trust in Gellert Grindelwald.

" **Yeah, he is," said Ron. "Can I have one of these cakes, Hagrid?"**

'Typical. Asking for food,' Ginny sighed, rolling her eyes fondly.

" **Help yerself," said Hagrid, wiping his eyes on the back of his hand. "Ar, he's righ', o' course - yeh're all righ'… I bin stupid… my ol' dad woulda bin ashamed o' the way I've bin behavin'…"**

**More tears leaked out, but he wiped them away more forcefully, and said, "Never shown you a picture of my old dad, have I? Here…"**

**Hagrid got up, went over to his dresser, opened a drawer, and pulled out a picture of a short wizard with Hagrid's crinkled black eyes, beaming as he sat on top of Hagrid's shoulder.**

Hagrid smiled sadly at the memory of his dad, and wished that his father was still alive.

**Hagrid was a good seven or eight feet tall, judging by the apple tree beside him, but his face was beardless, young, round, and smooth - he looked hardly older than eleven.**

" **Tha was taken jus' after I got inter Hogwarts," Hagrid croaked. "Dad was dead chuffed… thought I migh' not be a wizard, see, 'cos me mum… well, anyway. 'Course, I never was great shakes at magic, really… but at least he never saw me expelled. Died, see, in me second year…**

Dumbledore sighed quietly, almost inaudibly. He remembered that dreadful day when Hagrid had received the news that his father had died... how Hagrid had reacted to the news...

" **Dumbledore was the one who stuck up for me after Dad went. Got me the gamekeeper job… trusts people, he does. Gives 'em second chances…**

'Everyone deserves a second chance,' said Luna quietly. 'If they don't take it, then it's their choice.'

**tha's what sets him apar' from other heads, see. He'll accept anyone at Hogwarts, s'long as they've got the talent.**

Remus had to nod in agreement to that.

Umbridge and Lucius sneered quietly

**Knows people can turn out okay even if their families weren'… well… all tha' respectable.**

'Yeah, just look at my lot,' Sirius grumbled darkly under his breath. Then again, at least he had Tonks and Andromeda.

**But some don understand that. There's some who'd always hold it against yeh… there's some who'd even pretend they just had big bones rather than stand up an' say - I am what I am, an' I'm not ashamed.**

'It's like those who lie about their blood-status,' said Hermione thoughtfully. 'Why lie about what you are? I'm a Muggle-born, and I'm proud of it.'

All the Muggle-borns nodded and smiled in agreement of her.

' **Never be ashamed,' my ol' dad used ter say, 'there's some who'll hold it against you, but they're not worth botherin' with.'**

'Exactly,' someone said in agreement.

**An' he was right. I've bin an idiot. I'm not botherin' with _her_ no more, I promise yeh that. Big bones… I'll give her big bones."**

'I'll give her dinosaur bones as a birthday present,' said Lee in a serious voice. 'There! That'll show her big bones!'

Hagrid had to chuckle at that, along with other people.

**Harry, Ron, and Hermione looked at one another nervously; Harry would rather have taken fifty Blast-Ended Skrewts for a walk than admit to Hagrid that he had overheard him talking to Madame Maxime, but Hagrid was still talking, apparently unaware that he had said anything odd.**

Hagrid just chuckled again. He should have known that they had been there...

" **Yeh know wha, Harry?" he said, looking up from the photograph of his father, his eyes very bright, "when I firs' met you, you reminded me o' me a bit. Mum an' Dad gone, an' you was feelin' like yeh wouldn' fit in at Hogwarts, remember? Not sure yeh were really up to it… an' now look at yeh, Harry! School champion!"**

'Funny how things turn out, isn't it?' Harry laughed, slightly sarcastically.

**He looked at Harry for a moment and then said, very seriously, "Yeh know what I'd love Harry? I'd love yeh ter win, I really would.**

'I'd bin wantin' that all along,' Hagrid smiled slightly.

**It'd show 'em all… yeh don' have ter be pure-blood ter do it.**

'A blood-status is just a label,' said Luna serenely. 'There is no true difference between one wizard to the next.'

'Well said, Miss Lovegood,' Dumbledore smiled down at her.

**Yeh don have ter be ashamed of what yeh are.**

'No one should ever be ashamed of what they are,' said Tonks, smiling slightly. She remembered back to her school days when a certain group of girls liked to make fun of her for her metamorphmagus abilities. She didn't shy away from them and cry in a corner, though. She got even, by imitating their faces, one by one, and asking out numerous boys throughout the school, and then proceeding to snog all of them in plain sight of witnesses, and making that group of shallow girls seem like the whores of the school. Tonks smiled at the sweetness of the memory of revenge.

**It'd show 'em Dumbledore's the one who's got it righ', lettin' anyone in as long as they can do magic. How you doin' with that egg, Harry?"**

" **Great," said Harry. "Really great."**

**Hagrid's miserable face broke into a wide, watery smile.**

" **Tha's my boy… you show 'em, Harry, you show 'em. Beat 'em all."**

**Lying to Hagrid wasn't quite like lying to anyone else. Harry went back to the castle later that afternoon with Ron and Hermione, unable to banish the image of the happy expression on Hagrid's whiskery face as he had imagined Harry winning the tournament.**

'Yeh winning the tournament wasn' what I expected,' said Hagrid with a light frown at the memory of June.

'It wasn't what _anyone_ expected, Hagrid,' said McGonagall in a lightly sympathetic voice.

**The incomprehensible egg weighed more heavily than ever on Harry's conscience that evening, and by the time he had got into bed, he had made up his mind - it was time to shelve his pride and see if Cedric's hint was worth anything.**

'Finally,' Hermione grumbled, before proceeding to mutter something about _boys_ and _pride_.

'Hem, hem,' Umbridge cleared her throat loudly, dislodging any dead flies stuck in her windpipe. 'This chapter is now finished.'

'Then give it to me, and I'll read, Dolores,' McGonagall snapped at her irritably, suitably annoyed by her voice. She quickly Summoned the book and turned it to the following chapter.


	30. The Egg and the Eye

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Here it is, sorry for the delay, been doing exams

'The Egg and the Eye,' McGonagall read out, her voice still carrying the hints of irritation at a certain amphibian.

Harry internally groaned, remembering what Myrtle had been like.

**Harry had no idea how long a bath he would need to work out the secret of the golden egg, he decided to do it at night, when he would be able to take as much time as he wanted.**

'Good plan if you don't get caught,' Mad-Eye said conversationally.

"Don't encourage them," said Sprout half-heartedly 

**Reluctant though he was to accept more favours from Cedric, he also decided to use the prefects' bathroom; far fewer people were allowed in there, so it was much less likely that he would be disturbed.**

'Plus it's just nicer in general,' said a Ravenclaw prefect, smiling lightly.

**Harry planned his excursion carefully,**

'We're so proud of you,' Sirius smiled, wiping away a fake tear. 'You hear that, James? Your son is planning his rule-breaking!'

Remus just stared at Sirius for a long moment before sighing and rolling his eyes in resignation.

The teachers just groaned, hopefully, Harry wouldn't start pranking

**because he had been caught out of bed and out-of-bounds by Filch the caretaker in the middle of the night once before and had no desire to repeat the experience. The Invisibility Cloak would, of course, be essential,**

Sirius was nodding along, looking as though he was doing a mental checklist.

**and as an added precaution, Harry thought he would take the Marauders Map, which, next to the cloak, was the most useful aid to rule-breaking Harry owned.**

'That's what we aimed for,' Remus couldn't help but grin.

McGonagall shot him a look over the book, 

**The map showed the whole of Hogwarts, including its many short-cuts**

'Brilliant for when you don't feel like walking,' grinned Fred, ignoring the look his mother was sending him.

**and secret passageways and, most important of all, it revealed the people inside the castle as minuscule, labelled dots, moving around the corridors,**

'Fantastic magic,' Flitwick smiled approvingly.

**so that Harry would be forewarned if somebody was approaching the bathroom.**

'Would be handy if we had something like that, different maps for different locations,' Kingsley muttered to Mad-Eye under his breath. Mad-Eye seemed to agree as he considered the possibility of taking away the element of surprise on the side of the enemies.

**On Thursday night, Harry sneaked up to bed, put on the cloak, crept back downstairs, and, just as he had done on the night when Hagrid had shown him the dragons, waited for the portrait hole to open. This time it was Ron who waited outside to give the Fat Lady the password ("banana fritters"),**

'Odd password,' Padma muttered, sending the Gryffindor table an odd look.

'The odder the password, the less chance another House will discover them,' Lisa pointed out to her friend, shrugging lightly.

" **Good luck," Ron muttered, climbing into the room as Harry crept out past him.**

**It was awkward moving under the cloak tonight because Harry had the heavy egg under one arm and the map held in front of his nose with the other. However, the moonlit corridors were empty and silent, and by checking the map at strategic intervals,**

' _Strategic_ ,' Hermione repeated with a small laugh. 'You make it sound as though it's some extremely important operation.'

'The noble art of rule-breaking _is_ an extremely important operation,' Lee corrected in a patronising tone.

**Harry was able to ensure that he wouldn't run into anyone he wanted to avoid.**

'Definitely, something to think about,' Mad-Eye mused under his breath, imagining the possibilities of being able to use something like the Map.

**When he reached the statue of Boris the Bewildered, a lost-looking wizard with his gloves on the wrong hands,**

A few people snorted.

**he located the right door, leaned close to it, and muttered the password, " _Pine fresh_ ," just as Cedric had told him.**

**The door creaked open. Harry slipped inside, bolted the door behind him,**

'Constant vigilance,' Mad-Eye muttered, nodding his head in approval.

**and pulled off the Invisibility Cloak, looking around.**

**His immediate reaction was that it would be worth becoming a prefect just to be able to use this bathroom.**

All of the prefects smiled and nodded in agreement to that. The bathroom really was amazing. McGonagall had to hide a smile as well; she knew that Quidditch Captains also had the privilege of using that bathroom, and she knew from reading the previous three books as well as up to this point that she had made the right decision in who was taking the mantle of Captaincy next year. Oh, they needn't worry about the fact that Dolores Umbridge had _banned_ three players, because she would be gone at the end of the year, like every other Defence professor.

**It was softly lit by a splendid candle-filled chandelier, and everything was made of white marble,**

Lavender and Parvati sighed softly, smiling.

**including what looked like an empty, rectangular swimming pool sunk into the middle of the floor.**

'Wish I had a swimming pool in my bathroom,' Justin muttered, thinking of the possibilities.

'I suppose you have one in your house, am I right, Peacock?' Astoria sighed, raising her eyebrows questioningly at Malfoy. Malfoy didn't give an answer.

**About a hundred golden taps stood all around the edges of the pool, each with a differently coloured Jewel set into its handle.**

'Someone put a lot of detail into it,' Hannah observed, raising an eyebrow.

'Sounds like the interior designer was a bit of a bathroom fanatic,' Fred snorted.

**There was also a diving board.**

'Oh. Okay,' Lavender mused, shaking her head slightly.

**Long white linen curtains hung at the windows; a large pile of fluffy white towels sat in a corner, and there was a single golden-framed painting on the wall. It featured a blonde mermaid who was fast asleep on a rock, her long hair over her face. It fluttered every time she snored.**

Harry rolled his eyes. That mermaid looked nothing like the real thing. Then again, they couldn't exactly have a painting of a real mermaid in the bathroom. It might put people off.

**Harry moved forward, looking around, his footsteps echoing off the walls. Magnificent though the bathroom was - and quite keen though he was to try out a few of those taps - now he was here he couldn't quite suppress the feeling that Cedric might have been having him on. How on earth was this supposed to help solve the mystery of the egg? Nevertheless, he put one of the fluffy towels, the cloak, the map, and the egg at the side of the swimming-pool-sized bath, then knelt down and turned on a few of the taps.**

**He could tell at once that they carried different sorts of bubble bath mixed with the water, though it wasn't a bubble bath as Harry had ever experienced it. One tap gushed pink and blue bubbles the size of footballs;**

A few girls who weren't prefects sighed longingly at the thought of having pink and blue bubbles the size of footballs.

**another poured ice-white foam so thick that Harry thought it would have supported his weight if he'd cared to test it;**

'It sounds brilliant,' Colin breathed, his eyes wide with amazement.

'It really is,' Hermione smiled in agreement.

**a third sent heavily perfumed purple clouds hovering over the surface of the water.**

'I love that one,' breathed a Ravenclaw prefect.

**Harry amused himself for awhile turning the taps on and off,**

Quite a few people snickered at the thought of being amused by turning taps on and off.

'Only you,' Seamus laughed, shaking his head.

**particularly enjoying the effect of one whose jet bounced off the surface of the water in large arcs. Then, when the deep pool was full of hot water, foam, and bubbles,**

'The ultimate bubble-bath,' Katie smiled.

'Something Snape has never heard of,' George simpered innocently in a high pitched voice, ignoring said professor's glare 

**which took a very short time considering its size, Harry turned off all the taps, pulled off his pyjamas, slippers, and dressing gown, and slid into the water.**

Daphne noticed some girls from other Houses glancing not-so-discreetly at Harry, Cho and Ginny, included, and she felt compelled to glare at all of them in turn. She especially glared at a group of giggling fourth years.

**It was so deep that his feet barely touched the bottom, and he actually did a couple of lengths before swimming back to the side and treading water,**

'It sounds _fantastic_ to be able to swim in a bath,' grinned a Muggle-born Hufflepuff.

**staring at the egg. Highly enjoyable though it was to swim in hot and foamy water with clouds of different-coloured steam wafting all around him, no stroke of brilliance came to him, no sudden burst of understanding.**

'No, those only come to him when he's put into life-threatening situations,' Ron commented dryly.

Harry just grinned, 

**Harry stretched out his arms, lifted the egg in his wet hands, and opened it. The wailing, screeching sound filled the bathroom, echoing and reverberating off the marble walls, but it sounded just as incomprehensible as ever, if not more so with all the echoes. He snapped it shut again, worried that the sound would attract Filch, wondering whether that hadn't been Cedric's plan -**

Hannah shook her head. 'He would never get another in trouble with Filch.'

Those who knew Cedric best nodded their agreement with that statement.

**and then, making him jump so badly that he dropped the egg, which clattered away across the bathroom floor, someone spoke.**

'Who?' Hannah asked, looking slightly fearful for a moment.

'Nobody good,' Harry muttered, glowering darkly in disgust.

" **I'd try putting it in the water, if I were you."**

**Harry had swallowed a considerable amount of bubbles in shock.**

Harry pulled a face. 'Bubbles don't taste overly good, if I'm honest.'

**He stood up, sputtering, and saw the ghost of a very glum-looking girl sitting cross-legged on top of one of the taps. It was Moaning Myrtle, who was usually to be heard sobbing in the S-bend of a toilet three floors below.**

'What would she be doing there?' Charlie asked, frowning thoughtfully.

Harry just continued to glower.

" **Myrtle!" Harry said in outrage, "I'm - I'm not wearing anything!"**

'A pervert ghost,' groaned Dean in sympathy.

Daphne looked like she wanted to violently murder something.

**The foam was so dense that this hardly mattered, but he had a nasty feeling that Myrtle had been spying on him from out of one of the taps ever since he had arrived.**

'She will have been,' Harry muttered darkly, wondering what he'd done to deserve a ghost for a stalker.

" **I closed my eyes when you got in," she said, blinking at him through her thick spectacles. "You haven't been to see me for ages."**

'We had no other choice,' Harry muttered crossly, 

" **Yeah… well…" said Harry, bending his knees slightly, just to make absolutely sure Myrtle couldn't see anything but his head, "I'm not supposed to come into your bathroom, am I? It's a girls' one."**

"Never stopped you before," grinned George

" **You didn't used to care," said Myrtle miserably. "You used to be in there all the time."**

George now looked disgusted, 

**This was true, though only because Harry, Ron, and Hermione had found Myrtle's out-of-order toilets a convenient place to brew Polyjuice Potion in secret – a forbidden potion that had turned him and Ron into living replicas of Crabbe and Goyle for an hour, so that they could sneak into the Slytherin common room.**

The teachers grimaced at the reminder,

Umbridge just looked sour, it seemed no one wanted to punish the brats for brewing an illegal potion, 

" **I got told off for going in there," said Harry, which was half-true;**

'I love half-truths,' Harry couldn't help but smirk lightly.

**Percy had once caught him coming out of Myrtle's bathroom. "I thought I'd better not come back after that."**

'Which means he didn't want to go back because Myrtle fancies him,' Ron sniggered, and Harry glared at him.

" **Oh… I see…" said Myrtle, picking at a spot on her chin in a morose sort of way.**

A few girls visibly shuddered at that, grimacing.

" **Well… anyway… I'd try the egg in the water. That's what Cedric Diggory did."**

" **Have you been spying on him too?" said Harry indignantly. "What d'you do, sneak up here in the evenings to watch the prefects take baths?"**

" **Sometimes," said Myrtle, rather slyly,**

The prefects who were males all grimaced in revulsion.

'I'm never going in there again,' Malfoy muttered in disgust.

" **but I've never come out to speak to anyone before."**

'What a brilliant honour,' Ernie said, still grimacing in disgust.

" **I'm honoured," said Harry darkly. "You keep your eyes shut!"**

**He made sure Myrtle had her glasses well covered before hoisting himself out of the bath, wrapping the towel firmly around his waist, and going to retrieve the egg.**

Daphne was muttering darkly about stalker ghosts who couldn't stop stalking her boyfriend.

**Once he was back in the water, Myrtle peered through her fingers and said, "Go on, then… open it under the water!"**

**Harry lowered the egg beneath the foamy surface and opened it… and this time, it did not wail.**

'Looks like Myrtle was of some help, after all,' snorted Justin.

**A gurgling song was coming out of it, a song whose words he couldn't distinguish through the water.**

" **You need to put your head under too," said Myrtle, who seemed to be thoroughly enjoying bossing him around. "Go on!"**

Daphne gritted her teeth.

**Harry took a great breath and slid under the surface - and now, sitting on the marble bottom of the bubble-filled bath, he heard a chorus of eerie voices singing to him from the open egg in his hands:**

" ** _Come seek us where our voices sound,_**

_**We cannot sing above the ground,** _

_**And while you researching, ponder this:** _

**_We_ ' _ve taken what you_ ' _ll sorely miss,_**

**_An hour long you_ ' _ll have to look,_**

_**And to recover what we took,** _

**_But past an hour- the prospect_ ' _s black,_**

**_Too late, it_ ' _s gone, it won_ ' _t come back_ "**

Harry shook his head mentally at his own stupidity to take the song seriously.

**Harry let himself float back upward and broke the bubbly surface, shaking his hair out of his eyes.**

" **Hear it?" said Myrtle.**

" **Yeah… ' _Come seek us where our voices sound…_ ' and if I need persuading… hang on, I need to listen again…" He sank back beneath the water. It took three more underwater renditions of the egg's song before Harry had it memorized;**

'And it still made little sense after the third time,' Harry smiled sardonically.

**then he trod water for a while, thinking hard, while Myrtle sat and watched him.**

Most of the males grimaced, whilst Daphne glowered at the book, 

" **I've got to go and look for people who can't use their voices above the ground…" he said slowly. "Er… who could that be?"**

" **Slow, aren't you?"**

**He had never seen Moaning Myrtle so cheerful, apart from the day when a dose of PolyJuice Potion had given Hermione the hairy face and tail of a cat.**

Hermione grimaced at the memory of being part cat.

**Harry stared around the bathroom, thinking… if the voices could only be heard underwater, then it made sense for them to belong to underwater creatures.**

'Very good,' Mad-Eye nodded approvingly. It seemed that everything he did was being tested and approved by the Auror now.

**He ran this theory past Myrtle, who smirked at him.**

" **Well, that's what Diggory thought," she said. "He lay there talking to himself for ages about it. Ages and ages… nearly all the bubbles had gone…"**

Every male shuddered with profound revulsion, and many prayed to never use the prefect's bathroom.

" **Underwater…" Harry said slowly. "Myrtle… what lives in the lake, apart from the giant squid?"**

'Well, there _is_ someone who lives in a pineapple,' a Muggle-born Gryffindor offered, smiling slightly.

'He lives under the _sea_ , though!' her friend pointed out.

The muggle-borns and some of the half-bloods snickered, whilst the purebloods looked confused,

" **Oh all sorts," she said. "I sometimes go down there… sometimes don't have any choice, if someone flushes my toilet when I'm not expecting it…"**

Fred and George exchanged grins that could only mean a spot of trouble.

McGonagall and their mother caught it, "Don't even think about," they said in unison,

**Trying not to think about Moaning Myrtle zooming down a pipe to the lake with the contents of a toilet,**

The Hall began snickering loudly at the mental image that the sentence conjured up.

**Harry said, "Well, does anything in there have a human voice? Hang on -"**

**Harry's eyes had fallen on the picture of the snoozing mermaid on the wall.**

" **Myrtle, there aren't merpeople in there, are there?"**

Remus's eyes had widened, almost comically. 'Of course!' he breathed, looking like he wanted to facepalm himself for not having come to this conclusion earlier.

" **Oooh, very good," she said, her thick glasses twinkling, "it took Diggory much longer than that! And that was with her awake too" - Myrtle jerked her head toward the mermaid with an expression of great dislike on her glum face - "giggling and showing off and flashing her fins…"**

'Someone's jealous,' snickered Lee in amusement.

" **That's it, isn't it?" said Harry excitedly. "The second tasks to go and find the merpeople in the lake and… and…"**

'It sounds easy in theory,' Susan mused, wincing. 'But there's the little problem of _breathing_.'

**But he suddenly realized what he was saying, and he felt the excitement drain out of him as though someone had just pulled a plug in his stomach.**

'Which is rather fitting, because you're in a bath,' Luna smiled.

**He wasn't a very good swimmer; he'd never had much practice. Dudley had had lessons in his youth,**

'Don't know why they bothered to give him any,' Ron muttered, shaking his head. 'He's so large, he's a beachball.'

**but Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon, no doubt hoping that Harry would drown one day, hadn't bothered to give him any.**

Many people had started growling at that. 

**A couple of lengths of this bath were all very well, but that lake was very large, and very deep… and merpeople would surely live right at the bottom…**

'Who comes up with these challenges?' a Muggle-born demanded shrilly, raising her eyebrows. 'There is a possibility that a champion could die competing! Honestly, it's a miracle so many have survived!'

" **Myrtle," Harry said slowly, "how am I supposed to breathe?"**

'Don't ask her that!' Hermione groaned loudly, shaking her head at Harry's lack of tact.

**At this, Myrtle's eyes filled with sudden tears again.**

" **Tactless!" she muttered, groping in her robes for a handkerchief.**

" **What's tactless?" said Harry, bewildered.**

Hermione muttered something about boys being clueless, shaking her head at Harry and Ron.

" **Talking about breathing in front of me!" she said shrilly, and her voice echoed loudly around the bathroom. "When I can't… when I haven't… not for ages…"**

**She buried her face in her handkerchief and sniffed loudly. Harry remembered how touchy Myrtle had always been about being dead, but none of the other ghosts he knew made such a fuss about it.**

'Nick was celebrating his death,' Ron snorted.

" **Sorry," he said impatiently. "I didn't mean - I just forgot…"**

" **Oh yes, very easy to forget Myrtle's dead," said Myrtle, gulping, looking at him out of swollen eyes. "Nobody missed me even when I was alive.**

'That's sad,' Luna murmured. 'To know you are regarded as worthless by everyone, and to not even be missed when you do die.'

'That's how the world works, both Muggle and wizarding,' Hermione sighed, nodding in agreement with the Ravenclaw. 'If a celebrity, or a soldier, dies, then their death is plastered across the news and everyone cries for them. If it is a homeless person, then nobody even notices that they've gone.' She shook her head slightly, as if to clear it of unwanted thoughts and she closed her eyes for a moment.

**Took them hours and hours to find my body - I know, I was sitting there waiting for them. Olive Hornby came into the bathroom – 'Are you in here again, sulking, Myrtle?' she said, 'because Professor Dippet asked me to look for you -' And then she saw my body…**

'It's got to be a shock to find a classmate's body at age, what – twelve, thirteen?' Tonks mused, her tone sympathetic.

'It is,' Harry nodded in agreement, remembering Cedric. Okay, so maybe he hadn't _found_ Cedric's body, but he'd still watched him be murdered... which was worse...

**ooooh, she didn't forget it until her dying day, I made sure of that… followed her around and reminded her, I did. I remember at her brother's wedding -"**

'She really wanted revenge, huh,' Ernie stated, feeling glad that he wasn't called Olive Hornby.

**But Harry wasn't listening; he was thinking about the merpeople's song again.**

" **We've taken what you'll sorely miss." That sounded as though they were going to steal something of his, something he had to get back. What were they going to take?**

'My best friend,' Harry murmured under his breath.

"— **and then, of course, she went to the Ministry of Magic to stop me stalking her, so I had to come back here and live in my toilet."**

'Cheerful place to live, her toilet,' George nodded in agreement.

" **Good," said Harry vaguely. "Well, I'm a lot further on than I was… Shut your eyes again, will you? I'm getting out."**

'I'm sure she was disappointed that you were leaving,' Dean sniggered.

'I think she was,' said Harry grimly.

**He retrieved the egg from the bottom of the bath, climbed out, dried himself, and pulled on his pyjamas and dressing gown again.**

" **Will you come and visit me in my bathroom again sometime?" Moaning Myrtle asked mournfully as Harry picked up the Invisibility Cloak.**

'I'm sure he will,' Fred grinned at Harry, who just stared with a stony expression.

" **Er… I'll try," Harry said, though privately thinking the only way he'd be visiting Myrtle's bathroom again was if every other toilet in the castle got blocked.**

'Urgh, I wouldn't go there even then!' Terry vehemently shook his head.

" **See you. Myrtle… thanks for your help."**

" **Bye, 'bye," she said gloomily, and as Harry put on the Invisibility Cloak he saw her zoom back up the tap.**

**Out in the dark corridor, Harry examined the Marauders Map to check that the coast was still clear. Yes, the dots belonging to Filch and his cat, Mrs. Norris, were safely in their office…**

'I never thought I'd hear the words _Filch, Mrs Norris_ and _safe_ in the same sentence,' George said musingly.

**nothing else seemed to be moving apart from Peeves, though he was bouncing around the trophy room on the floor above…**

'Creating more mess for me to clean up,' Filch muttered darkly.

**Harry had taken his first step back toward Gryffindor Tower when something else on the map caught his eye… something distinctly odd.**

**Peeves was not the only thing that was moving. A single dot was flitting around a room in the bottom left-hand corner - Snape's office. But the dot wasn't labelled "Severus Snape"…**

'Who would want to go inside Snape's office, other than Snape himself?' Anthony questioned with a raised eyebrow.

**it was Bartemius Crouch.**

'Isn't Mr Crouch ill at that point, though?' Lisa asked, frowning in thoughtfulness.

'What would he be doing in Snape's office?' Hannah asked in a similarly confused tone.

Those who knew the truth glowered and Snape scowled darkly.

**Harry stared at the dot. Mr. Crouch was supposed to be too ill to go to work or to come to the Yule Ball - so what was he doing, sneaking into Hogwarts at one o'clock in the morning?**

'Good question, that,' Ernie agreed.

' _One o'clock in the morning_?' Madam Pomfrey repeated, pursing her lips in disapproval at Harry's night-time wandering habits. Mrs Weasley and McGonagall seemed to be thinking in a similar vein, and Harry fought the urge to groan in annoyance.

**Harry watched closely as the dot moved around and around the room, pausing here and there…**

'He's looking for something,' Katie said with a frown. 'Why would he be looking for something in Snape's office?'

**Harry hesitated, thinking… and then his curiosity got the better of him.**

'Of course,' Padma sighed, shaking her head.

**He turned and set off in the opposite direction toward the nearest staircase. He was going to see what Crouch was up to.**

'Far too curious for your own good,' Remus muttered, shaking his head in exasperation. He looked at Sirius. 'I'm blaming Lily for this.'

'James is to blame as well,' Sirius groaned.

**Harry walked down the stairs as quietly as possible, though the faces in some of the portraits still turned curiously at the squeak of a floorboard, the rustle of his pyjamas.**

'Nosy as hell,' Sirius muttered.

**He crept along the corridor below, pushed aside a tapestry about halfway along, and proceeded down a narrower staircase, a shortcut that would take him down two floors. He kept glancing down at the map, wondering… It just didn't seem in character, somehow, for correct, law-abiding Mr. Crouch to be sneaking around somebody else's office this late at night…**

'Exactly, so why is he there?' Amelia murmured, more to herself than anyone else. She had known Barty in life; he wasn't the type to go snooping around in an office that he had no reason to be in anyhow.

**And then, halfway down the staircase, not thinking about what he was doing, not concentrating on anything but the peculiar behaviour of Mr. Crouch, Harry's leg suddenly sank right through the trick step Neville always forgot to jump.**

'Ooh, bad luck, mate,' Ron said sympathetically, wincing.

**He gave an ungainly wobble, and the golden egg, still damp from the bath, slipped from under his arm. He lurched forward to try and catch it, but too late; the egg fell down the long staircase with a bang as loud as a bass drum on every step -**

'First a stalker ghost, now this?' Seamus groaned. 'You're not having a good night, are you?'

'I've had better,' Harry replied dryly _I've also had far worse_ he thought to himself, 

**the Invisibility Cloak slipped - Harry snatched at it, and the Marauder s Map fluttered out of his hand and slid down six stairs, where, sunk in the step to above his knee, he couldn't reach it.**

**The golden egg fell through the tapestry at the bottom of the staircase, burst open, and began wailing loudly in the corridor below.**

'Summon it back!' said Angelina frantically, wringing her hands.

**Harry pulled out his wand and struggled to touch the Marauder's Map, to wipe it blank, but it was too far away to reach –**

**Pulling the cloak back over himself Harry straightened up, listening hard with his eyes screwed up with fear… and, almost immediately –**

" **PEEVES!"**

'I'm sure Peeves was very insulted to be blamed for a crime he didn't commit,' sniffed Fred, as though he had been personally offended.

**It was the unmistakable hunting cry of Filch the caretaker.**

'The Tale of Filch the Caretaker,' George said in a slow, _storytelling_ voice. 'He was a bitter man, detested by every man, woman and child throughout the land. For nigh on twenty years, he waged an endless, bloody war with the good students of Hogwarts. Whilst this was indeed a battle for dominance over Hogwarts, the one he truly hunted was Peeves.'

'Peeves was an innocent poltergeist who sought to only liven up the school where he resided, and he unknowingly incited the fury of Filch the Caretaker,' Fred continued in the same voice.

'They then spent twenty years or more at war with each other, with Filch always trying to gain the upper hand, but failing each time he came close...'

'Will you two shut up!' Angelina demanded, rubbing her temples as she felt the headache building.

**Harry could hear his rapid, shuffling footsteps coming nearer and nearer, his wheezy voice raised in fury.**

" **What's this racket? Wake up the whole castle, will you? I'll have you, Peeves, I'll have you, you'll…**

'Become my new bride,' Fred finished in a high pitched voice.

**and what is this?"**

**Filch's footsteps halted; there was a clink of metal on metal and the wailing stopped - Filch had picked up the egg and closed it. Harry stood very still, one leg still jammed tightly in the magical step, listening.**

'You're _really_ not having a good night,' Seamus whistled.

**Any moment now, Filch was going to pull aside the tapestry, expecting to see Peeves… and there would be no Peeves… but if he came up the stairs, he would spot the Marauder's Map… and Invisibility Cloak or not, the map would show "Harry Potter" standing exactly where he was.**

" **Egg?" Filch said quietly at the foot of the stairs. "My sweet!" - Mrs. Norris was obviously with him -**

'Obviously,' snorted Ron. 'He wouldn't leave without his wife.'

'Mrs Norris is Filch's wife?' Justin asked, going bug-eyed for a moment. 'I thought she was just his mistress.'

'Will you stop talking about whether Mrs Norris is Filch's wife or mistress!' Hannah shrieked at the two of them, closing her eyes. 'I don't want to know!'

" **This is a Triwizard clue! This belongs to a school champion!"**

**Harry felt sick; his heart was hammering very fast -**

" **PEEVES!" Filch roared gleefully. "You've been stealing!"**

**He ripped back the tapestry below, and Harry saw his horrible, pouchy face and bulging, pale eyes staring up the dark and (to Filch) deserted staircase.**

" **Hiding, are you?" he said softly. "I'm coming to get you, Peeves… You've gone and stolen a Triwizard clue, Peeves…**

'Now, now,' said Fred disapprovingly, wagging a finger. 'It's not nice to accuse Peeves of things he hasn't done.'

**Dumbledore'll have you out of here for this, you filthy, pilfering poltergeist…"**

George, Fred and Lee all looked supremely insulted on the behalf of Peeves.

**Filch started to climb the stairs, his scrawny, dust-coloured cat at his heels.**

Filch tightened his grip on the said scrawny, dust-coloured cat.

**Mrs. Morris's lamp-like eyes, so very like her masters, were fixed directly upon Harry. He had had occasion before now to wonder whether the Invisibility Cloak worked on cats…**

'It does,' Hermione confirmed. 'Cats just have very good senses.'

**Sick with apprehension, he watched Filch drawing nearer and nearer in his old flannel dressing gown**

'Filch the Caretaker was known throughout the land for his old flannel dressing gown,' George nodded, still in storytelling mode.

**\- he tried desperately to pull his trapped leg free, but it merely sank a few more inches - any second now, Filch was going to spot the map or walk right into him -**

" **Filch? What's going on?"**

'Who's that?' Susan asked with trepidation. She didn't want to feel relief yet, in case Harry wasn't out of the deep end yet.

**Filch stopped a few steps below Harry and turned. At the foot of the stairs stood the only person who could make Harry's situation worse: Snape.**

'Your night keeps getting better and better,' Charlie mused, looking like he was glad he wasn't Harry.

'I know,' Harry agreed grimly.

**He was wearing a long grey nightshirt**

'He sleeps?' Sirius blurted out, his eyes popping comically.

'Yes, believe it or not, Black,' Snape sneered at Sirius.

'I don't believe it, sorry,' Sirius added unconvincingly.

**and he looked livid.**

" **It's Peeves, Professor," Filch whispered malevolently. "He threw this egg down the stairs."**

**Snape climbed up the stairs quickly and stopped beside Filch. Harry gritted his teeth, convinced his loudly thumping heart would give him away at any second…**

'No, Snape doesn't have the hearing of a bat, apparently,' Lee grinned. 'We know because we've tested it.'

Snape glared at the three resident pranksters of Hogwarts.

" **Peeves?" said Snape softly, staring at the egg in Filch's hands. "But Peeves couldn't get into my office…"**

'I don't think Peeves would want to go there, anyway,' Fred said dismissively, as though that settled the matter.

" **This egg was in your office, Professor?"**

" **Of course not," Snape snapped. "I heard banging and wailing -"**

'The ghosts were having a ball,' said Lee in a completely serious voice.

" **Yes, Professor, that was the egg -"**

" **\- I was coming to investigate -"**

'Sherlock Holmes style!' Colin sniggered.

All of the Muggle-borns and the half-bloods that had been raised by Muggles started to laugh at the image Colin's statement conjured up; Severus Snape dressed in a cape and deerstalker, smoking a pipe or two.

" **\- Peeves threw it. Professor -"**

'He did nothing of the sort!' Sirius gasped in indignation.

" **\- and when I passed my office, I saw that the torches were lit and a cupboard door was ajar! Somebody has been searching it!"**

'Looking for bacon,' Fred nodded.

'It's so hard to find decent bacon at that time of morning,' George said agreeably.

" **But Peeves couldn't -"**

" **I know he couldn't, Filch!" Snape snapped again.**

'No need to be rude, professor,' Luna said, frowning and remaining oblivious to the cold look Snape was sending her. 'He was only pointing it out.'

" **I seal my office with a spell none but a wizard could break!"**

'Well, it _could_ be broken into by a non-wizard,' Ernie mused thoughtfully.

'Yeah, throw a bench at the door,' Justin shrugged.

**Snape looked up the stairs, straight through Harry, and then down into the corridor below. "I want you to come and help me search for the intruder, Filch."**

'Only if you say _please_ ,' George huffed in a vaguely accurate impression of Filch, causing said caretaker to ground his teeth.

" **I - yes, Professor - but -"**

**Filch looked yearningly up the stairs, right through Harry, who could see that he was very reluctant to forgo the chance of cornering Peeves. Go, Harry pleaded with him silently, go with Snape… go…**

'But your luck is never good,' Anthony sighed.

**Mrs. Norris was peering around Filch's legs… Harry had the distinct impression that she could smell him…**

'She probably could,' Hermione winced in sympathy.

**Why had he filled that bath with so much perfumed foam?**

'Karma comes back to bite you in the butt, doesn't it?' Bill winced.

'If karma comes back to get everyone, then I almost feel sorry for Voldemort, considering everything he's done,' Harry mused, looking distant for a moment as he imagined the many, many ways Voldemort could be killed off. So far, dropping him in a vat of boiling industrial acid seemed like a good idea.

" **The thing is, Professor," said Filch plaintively, "the headmaster will have to listen to me this time.**

Dumbledore's eyes twinkled, giving him away. He rather liked having the poltergeist around the place. Peeves knew how to lighten an atmosphere up, even if his methods of doing so were unorthodox. Certainly, Hogwarts was a place to learn, but it was also a place to have fun as well. If the students weren't allowed the latter, then the castle would become dull and grey, and more like a prison of enforced lessons.

**Peeves has been stealing from a student, it might be my chance to get him thrown out of the castle once and for all -"**

" **Filch, I don't give a damn about that wretched poltergeist; it's my office that's - _"_**

'Oh, the shame!' Sirius mock sobbed. 'What did Peeves ever do to you?'

**_Clunk. Clunk. Clunk._ **

'Three guesses who that is,' Tonks said brightly, sending an essentially dazzling smile at her mentor. Mad-Eye gritted his teeth and narrowed his remaining good eye.

**Snape stopped talking very abruptly.**

Sirius looked ready to cheer and give Mad-Eye (even if it was an imposter in the book) a standing ovation.

**He and Filch both looked down at the foot of the stairs. Harry saw Mad-Eye Moody limp into sight through the narrow gap between their heads. Moody was wearing his old travelling cloak over his nightshirt and leaning on his staff as usual.**

'I'm sorry, but I just can't imagine any teachers sleeping,' said Dennis, looking as though he was trying to get his head around the fact that teachers weren't, in fact, nocturnal beings.

" **Pyjama party, is it?" he growled up the stairs.**

'How did you _guess_!' squealed Fred, his voice rising several octaves higher than the norm.

'We were just exchanging _ghost stories_!' George looked very much like an eight year old girl at that moment in time.

'Very frightening.'

'Chilling to the core.'

'Weasley, Weasley, if you don't be quiet...' McGonagall trailed off, letting the threat hang in the air. The twins looked towards their mother, and saw that she was carrying a similar expression.

" **Professor Snape and I heard noises, Professor," said Filch at once.**

'Still better grammar skills than those who live on council estates,' mused Harry thoughtfully.

'Can't argue with that,' Justin chuckled in agreement. The rest of the Muggle-borns seemed inclined to agree.

'There's one just outside Blackpool – Grange Park. I'm afraid to go anywhere near there when I'm at home,' shivered a first year Ravenclaw.

'That's the one in Layton, isn't it? The one that deserves to be burned to the ground?' Neville asked kindly to the girl, having a vague memory of having been in a place that had a name that sounded familiar to what the girl had said.

The Ravenclaw nodded. 'The number sixteen bus goes through there. I hate getting on it, so very much.'

" **Peeves the Poltergeist, throwing things around as usual - and then Professor Snape discovered that someone had broken into his off -"**

Snape gritted his teeth and glared at Filch.

" **Shut up!" Snape hissed to Filch.**

Luna shook her head at the rudeness being shown to Filch.

**Moody took a step closer to the foot of the stairs. Harry saw Moody's magical eye travel over Snape, and then, unmistakably, onto himself.**

**Harry's heart gave a horrible jolt. _Moody could see through Invisibility Cloaks_ … he alone could see the full strangeness of the scene:**

'It must have been pretty amusing for him, as well,' Angelina giggled.

**Snape in his nightshirt,**

The twins, Sirius and Lee all collectively shuddered as one.

**Filch clutching the egg, and he, Harry, trapped in the stairs behind them.**

'When you put it like that, it _does_ sound rather strange,' Terry mused.

**Moody's lopsided gash of a mouth opened in surprise. For a few seconds, he and Harry stared straight into each other's eyes. Then Moody closed his mouth and turned his blue eye upon Snape again.**

" **Did I hear that correctly, Snape?" he asked slowly. "Someone broke into your office?"**

'Yes,' Snape grit out under his breath, ' _you_.'

" **It is unimportant," said Snape coldly.**

" **On the contrary," growled Moody, "it is very important. Who'd want to break into your office?"**

'Yeah, there isn't exactly anything of interest in there,' Sirius nodded in agreement.

Remus appeared to have all but given up attempting to get Sirius to shut up.

" **A student, I daresay," said Snape. Harry could see a vein flickering horribly on Snape's greasy temple. "It has happened before. Potion ingredients have gone missing from my private store cupboard… students attempting illicit mixtures, no doubt…"**

Harry, Ron and Hermione all began whistling innocently whilst Snape did an excellent impression of a rottweiler.

" **Reckon they were after potion ingredients, eh?" said Moody. "Not hiding anything else in your office, are you?"**

**Harry saw the edge of Snape's sallow face turn a nasty brick colour, the vein in his temple pulsing more rapidly.**

" **You know I'm hiding nothing, Moody," he said in a soft and dangerous voice, "as you've searched my office pretty thoroughly yourself."**

Snape looked like he wanted to kill something, more so than usual, it seemed.

**Moody's face twisted into a smile. "Auror's privilege, Snape. Dumbledore told me to keep an eye - "**

" **Dumbledore happens to trust me," said Snape through clenched teeth.**

'He has my absolute trust,' Dumbledore said firmly, fixing Snape in place with an x-ray stare. Still, disappointment lingered in their blue depths, disappointment at Snape's behaviour towards the boy he swore to protect with his life, and Gryffindor House as a whole.

" **I refuse to believe that he gave you orders to search my office!"**

" **Course Dumbledore trusts you," growled Moody. "He's a trusting man, isn't he? Believes in second chances.**

'Second chances are all fine and dandy – until you cross a certain point,' said Harry quietly. 'After that, they don't deserve a second chance. Voldemort definitely doesn't deserve one, nor does Wormtail.'

'Or Bellatrix Lestrange,' Neville grit out, uncharacteristically angry as his eyes narrowed at the thought of the witch who all but destroyed his parents.

**But me - I say there are spots that don't come off, Snape. Spots that never come off, d'you know what I mean?"**

**Snape suddenly did something very strange. He seized his left forearm convulsively with his right hand, as though something on it had hurt him.**

Snape's face remained in the characteristic scowl as a few students glanced at him curiously, wondering why he did that.

**Moody laughed. "Get back to bed, Snape."**

'Get back to your cave,' Sirius said gruffly.

" **You don't have the authority to send me anywhere!" Snape hissed, letting go of his arm as though angry with himself. "I have as much right to prowl this school after dark as you do!"**

' _Prowl_ ,' Lee repeated, sniggering loudly.

" **Prowl away," said Moody, but his voice was full of menace. "I look forward to meeting you in a dark corridor some time…**

'I could take that the wrong way,' Lee muttered, the laughter gone as it was replaced by a nauseous look.

**You've dropped something, by the way…"**

**With a stab of horror Harry saw Moody point at the Marauders Map, still lying on the staircase six steps below him. As Snape and Filch both turned to look at it, Harry threw caution to the winds;**

'You do that anyway,' Remus said dryly.

Harry just shrugged nonchalantly.

**he raised his arms under the cloak and waved furiously at Moody to attract his attention, mouthing "It's mine! _Mine_!"**

**Snape had reached out for it, a horrible expression of dawning comprehension on his face -**

'Ah, f-' Fred began to say, but was cut off by his mother's, 'Don't you finish that sentence!'

" ** _Accio_ parchment _!_ "**

**The map flew up into the air, slipped through Snape's outstretched fingers, and soared down the stairs into Moody's hand.**

'At least it's away from him,' George sighed in exaggerated relief.

" **My mistake," Moody said calmly. "It's mine - must've dropped it earlier -"**

**But Snape's black eyes were darting from the egg in Filch's arms to the map in Moody's hand, and Harry could tell he was putting two and two together, as only Snape could…**

'Aaaaand, he knows,' groaned Justin loudly.

" **Potter," he said quietly.**

" **What's that?" said Moody calmly, folding up the map and pocketing it.**

" **Potter!" Snape snarled, and he actually turned his head and stared right at the place where Harry was, as though he could suddenly see him.**

'I swear to God that my heart actually stopped for a moment,' Harry chuckled, somewhat darkly.

" **That egg is Potters egg. That piece of parchment belongs to Potter. I have seen it before, I recognize it! Potter is here! Potter, in his Invisibility Cloak!"**

'Well done, Snape. Would you like a medal to go with it?' Sirius asked, his voice deeply sarcastic.

**Snape stretched out his hands like a blind man and began to move up the stairs; Harry could have sworn his over-large nostrils were dilating, trying to sniff Harry out**

'Always was Lucius Malfoy's lapdog,' Sirius muttered under his breath, ignoring the sharp look Remus was sending him.

**\- trapped. Harry leaned backward, trying to avoid Snape's fingertips, but any moment now-**

" **There's nothing there, Snape!" barked Moody,**

Hannah sighed in relief. At least Harry wasn't being handed over to Snape on a silver platter.

" **but I'll be happy to tell the headmaster how quickly your mind jumped to Harry Potter!"**

" **Meaning what?" Snape turned again to look at Moody, his hands still outstretched, inches from Harry's chest.**

" **Meaning that Dumbledore's very interested to know who's got it in for that boy!"**

'You mean aside from Voldemort and his nasty pack of Death Eaters?' Harry asked casually, raising an eyebrow. 'I've probably got more enemies, now that I think about it.' He shrugged, as though it were only a minor concern.

**said Moody, limping nearer still to the foot of the stairs. "And so am I, Snape… very interested…" The torchlight flickered across his mangled face, so that the scars, and the chunk missing from his nose, looked deeper and darker than ever.**

**Snape was looking down at Moody, and Harry couldn't see the expression on his face. For a moment, nobody moved or said anything. Then Snape slowly lowered his hands.**

A few people breathed in relief again.

" **I merely thought," said Snape, in a voice of forced calm, "that if Potter was wandering around after hours again… it's an unfortunate habit of his…**

'I only do it when I have to,' Harry pointed out.

**he should be stopped. For - for his own safety."**

A few people started spluttering on their own air at the sheer absurdity of the statement. Since when did _Snape_ , of all people, care about Harry's well-being?

" **Ah, I see," said Moody softly. "Got Potter's best interests at heart, have you?"**

Dumbledore and Snape exchanged a silent, hidden glance, knowing the truth behind that sentence, even if it wasn't known.

**There was a pause. Snape and Moody were still staring at each other, Mrs. Norris gave a loud meow, still peering around Filch's legs, looking for the source of Harry's bubble-bath smell.**

" **I think I will go back to bed," Snape said curtly.**

" **Best idea you've had all night," said Moody. "Now, Filch, if you'll just give me that egg-"**

" **No!" said Filch, clutching the egg as though it were his firstborn son.**

'Heaven forbid that _he_ ever have children,' a sixth year Gryffindor shuddered.

" **Professor Moody, this is evidence of Peeves' treachery!"**

" **It's the property of the champion he stole it from," said Moody. "Hand it over, now."**

**Snape swept downstairs and passed Moody without another word. Filch made a chirruping noise to Mrs. Norris, who stared blankly at Harry for a few more seconds before turning and following her master. Still breathing very fast. Harry heard Snape walking away down the corridor; Filch handed Moody the egg and disappeared from view too, muttering to Mrs. Norris.**

'Telling her how much he loves her,' cooed Fred delicately.

" **Never mind my sweet… we'll see Dumbledore in the morning… tell him what Peeves was up to…"**

**A door slammed.**

'Temper, temper,' George sang loudly, wagging a finger in an obnoxious way.

**Harry was left staring down at Moody, who placed his staff on the bottommost stair and started to climb laboriously toward him, a dull clunk on every other step.**

" **Close shave Potter," he muttered.**

'I'm used to them,' Harry shrugged. 'Although they tend to be literally life threatening. And involving Voldemort.'

" **Yeah… I – er… thanks," said Harry weakly.**

" **What is this thing?" said Moody, drawing the Marauder's Map out of his pocket and unfolding it.**

" **Map of Hogwarts," said Harry, hoping Moody was going to pull him out of the staircase soon; his leg was really hurting him.**

Madam Pomfrey pursed her lips again, casting a critical eye over Harry's form again. They really needed to have that step fixed; this wasn't the first injury caused by the blasted thing.

" **Merlin's beard,"**

'What if Merlin didn't have a beard, though?' Harry asked, raising an eyebrow questioningly.

Ron was looking at him oddly. 'Everyone knows Merlin had a beard, Harry.'

'What if the accounts of Merlin were slightly wrong, though? It _has_ been something like a thousand years. Some things might have been changed along the line at some point. The evidence isn't always perfect.'

Hermione was looking at him oddly as well, now, although it appeared to have a spark of frustration, as well. 'Why haven't I ever thought of that?' she muttered to herself furiously, shaking her head.

**Moody whispered, staring at the map, his magical eye going haywire. "This… this is some map. Potter!"**

" **Yeah, it's… quite useful," Harry said.**

'For rule-breaking,' Sirius nodded.

**His eyes were starting to water from the pain. "Er - Professor Moody, d'you think you could help me -?"**

" **What? Oh! Yes… yes, of course…"**

**Moody took hold of Harry's arms and pulled; Harry's leg came free of the trick step, and he climbed onto the one above it. Moody was still gazing at the map. "Potter…" he said slowly, "you didn't happen, by any chance, to see who broke into Snape's office, did you? On this map, I mean?"**

" **Er… yeah, I did…" Harry admitted. "It was Mr. Crouch."**

Amelia shook her head. She still couldn't work out why Barty would do something like that. Then again, it just didn't feel _right_.

**Moody's magical eye whizzed over the entire surface of the map. He looked suddenly alarmed.**

" **Crouch?" he said. "You're - you're sure Potter?"**

'You're nervous. Good,' Harry muttered under his breath, smiling darkly.

" **Positive," said Harry.**

" **Well, he's not here anymore," said Moody, his eye still whizzing over the map. "Crouch… that's very - very interesting…"**

'Interesting that it shows up people's real names, even when using Polyjuice Potion,' Sirius mused quietly to himself.

**He said nothing for almost a minute, still staring at the map. Harry could tell that this news meant something to Moody and very much wanted to know what it was. He wondered whether he dared ask. Moody scared him slightly…**

'Only _slightly_ ,' Anthony chuckled.

**yet Moody had just helped him avoid an awful lot of trouble…**

" **Er… Professor Moody… why d'you reckon Mr. Crouch wanted to look around Snape's office?"**

**Moodys magical eye left the map and fixed, quivering, upon Harry. It was a penetrating glare, and Harry had the impression that Moody was sizing him up, wondering whether to answer or not, or how much to tell him.**

'People should just tell me the full truth,' Harry muttered bitterly. 'I can take it. I've been through enough to be able to take it.'

Those that heard shot him worried glances. At Ginny's raise of her eyebrows, Harry just shook his head at her silent questioning.

" **Put it this way Potter," Moody muttered finally, "they say old Mad-Eye's obsessed with catching Dark wizards… but I'm nothing - nothing - compared to Barty Crouch."**

"That's true," muttered Sirius

**He continued to stare at the map. Harry was burning to know more.**

" **Professor Moody?" he said again. "D'you think… could this have anything to do with… maybe Mr. Crouch thinks there's something going on…"**

" **Like what?" said Moody sharply.**

**Harry wondered how much he dare say. He didn't want Moody to guess that he had a source of information outside Hogwarts; that might lead to tricky questions about Sirius.**

'Which would only lead to trouble,' Tonks nodded, frowning.

" **I don't know," Harry muttered, "odd stuffs been happening lately, hasn't it? It's been in the _Daily Prophet_ … the Dark Mark at the World Cup, and the Death Eaters and everything…"**

**Both of Moody's mismatched eyes widened.**

" **You're a sharp boy, Potter," he said.**

Mad-Eye had to agree with the imposter there. He was certainly sharp enough to notice little things that others didn't, to put things together to form an answer and to walk straight into the heart of the danger, and walk out again.

**His magical eye roved back to the Marauder's Map. "Crouch could be thinking along those lines," he said slowly. "Very possible… there have been some funny rumours flying around lately - helped along by Rita Skeeter, of course.**

'Of course,' Hermione grimaced, her nose wrinkling in disgust for Rita Skeeter.

**It's making a lot of people nervous, I reckon." A grim smile twisted his lopsided mouth. "Oh if there's one thing I hate," he muttered, more to himself than to Harry, and his magical eye was fixed on the left-hand corner of the map, "its a Death Eater who walked free…"**

'Good use of words there, the double meaning,' Harry mused to himself. It was all extremely clever, he had to admit. The wording was excellent; Mad-Eye would say it due to his job and hatred of Dark Wizards, and Barty Crouch jr would say it because of his devotion to Voldemort.

**Harry stared at him. Could Moody possibly mean what Harry thought he meant?**

" **And now I want to ask _you_ a question Potter," said Moody in a more businesslike tone.**

**Harry's heart sank; he had thought this was coming. Moody was going to ask where he had got this map, which was a very dubious magical object - and the story of how it had fallen into his hands incriminated not only him, but his own father, Fred and George Weasley, and Professor Lupin, their last Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher.**

'That would be awkward to explain,' Remus muttered, looking slightly sheepish.

'No? Really?' Harry shot back in a sarcastic manner.

**Moody waved the map in front of Harry, who braced himself-**

" **Can I borrow this?"**

'That was unexpected,' said Ernie, blinking owlishly.

" **Oh!" said Harry.**

**He was very fond of his map, but on the other hand, he was extremely relieved that Moody wasn't asking where he'd got it, and there was no doubt that he owed Moody a favour.**

" **Yeah, okay."**

" **Good boy," growled Moody. "I can make good use of this… this might be exactly what I've been looking for…**

'We're making one,' Mad-Eye muttered to Kingsley, who nodded his agreement. It would definitely be useful to the Order.

**Right, bed, Potter, come on, now…"**

**They climbed to the top of the stairs together, Moody still examining the map as though it was a treasure the like of which he had never seen before. They walked in silence to the door of Moody's office, where he stopped and looked up at Harry.**

" **You ever thought of a career as an Auror, Potter?"**

'Ironic that you got the idea to be a Dark Wizard catcher from a Death Eater's suggestion that you should be one,' Hermione mused in Harry's ear, sounding slightly amused.

" **No," said Harry, taken aback.**

" **You want to consider it," said Moody, nodding and looking at Harry thoughtfully. "Yes, indeed…**

'Rufus would agree,' Kingsley nodded to Mad-Eye. 'Once he's heard all of this, of course. He'd want the proof.'

**and incidentally…I'm guessing you weren't just taking that egg for a walk tonight?"**

'Yeah, he was, actually,' Lee disagreed vehemently, shaking his head.

" **Er - no," said Harry, grinning. "I've been working out the clue."**

**Moody winked at him, his magical eye going haywire again. "Nothing like a nighttime stroll to give you ideas, Potter…**

Snape muttered something about insufferable brats being encouraged to break rules.

**See you in the morning…"**

**He went back into his office, staring down at the Marauders Map again, and closed the door behind him.**

**Harry walked slowly back to Gryffindor Tower, lost in thought about Snape, and Crouch, and what it all meant… Why was Crouch pretending to be ill, if he could manage to get to Hogwarts when he wanted to? What did he think Snape was concealing in his office? And Moody thought he, Harry, ought to be an Auror! Interesting idea…**

'But you're going to become a professional Seeker, and you're going to play for the England Quidditch Team – at the same time that I'm playing Keeper, of course – and you're going to win us plenty of competitions,' Oliver cut in, shaking his head as he put his claim forward.

**but somehow, Harry thought, as he got quietly into his four-poster ten minutes later, the egg and the cloak now safely back in his trunk, he thought he'd like to check how scarred the rest of them were before he chose it as a career.**

'We're not all like that, you know,' Tonks grinned at him, gesturing at her face, which remained unscarred. 'Nor is Kingsley.'

'I know,' Harry nodded at her. 'Now that I know that, I want to be an Auror.'

Umbridge sneered to herself. As if that boy would be allowed anywhere near the Ministry of Magic. Unfortunately for her, Amelia noticed, and she raised her eyebrows.

'Something you'd like to say, Dolores?' she asked pleasantly, looking with disguised distaste at the human toad.

'Of course not, Amelia,' Umbridge replied, her tone grating and sickly.

'Are you sure?' Amelia asked, her tone never changing. 'Don't be shy to say it. You've never been shy before.'

'I'm fine, Amelia,' Umbridge grit out.

'I'm done with this chapter,' McGonagall spoke up loudly over the conversation.

'I'll read next, professor,' said Bill, allowing the book to Levitate towards him. Fred and George were looking at him like he'd committed some treasonous crime. Bill ignored them pointedly, and turned the page over to the next chapter.


	31. Author's Note

_**Hi guys I know you are all wanting an update, I have a bit of writers block at the moment so I'm going to be taking a break from Harry Potter series for a while and working on a few of my other stories, but fear not I will come back to it** _


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